THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 


WORKS  BY  RALPH  CONNOR 

THE  DOCTOR. 

THE  PROSPECTOR. 

GLENGARRY  SCHOOL  DAYS. 

THE  MAN  FROM  GLENGARRY. 

THE  SKY  PILOT. 

BLACK  ROCK. 

THE  ANGEL  AND  THE  STAR. 

GWEN. 


The  Life  of 

James  Robertson 


Missionary  Superintendent 
In  the  Northwest  Territories 


By 

CHARLES  W.  GORDON 
(Ralph  Connor) 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK         CHICAGO         TORONTO 

Fleming   H.  Re  veil  Company 

LONDON       AND        EDINBURGH 


Copyright,    1908,  by 


FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  80  Wabash  Avenue 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  Street,  W. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:  100  Princes  Street 


PREFACE 

TO  say  that  the  book  is  not  worthy  of  its  subject 
is  to  anticipate  the  verdict  of  every  reader  who 
knew  and  loved  the  great  Superintendent.  But 
to  portray  in  fitting  words  his  service  and  his  worth,  is 
beyond  the  pen  of  living  man. 

The  book  is  my  best  attempt  to  set  him  forth  as  he  was 
among  us  ;  not  to  praise  him — he  needs  no  praise — not  to 
tell  of  his  character  nor  to  describe  his  work,  but  to  show 
him  living,  loving,  toiling,  suffering,  as  we  saw  him.  It 
is  my  humble  hope  that  this,  in  some  measure  at  least,  I 
have  achieved. 

I  gratefully  acknowledge  the  kindness  of  his  family,  of 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  of  friends,  and  especially  of  con- 
veners of  committees  and  officials  of  Presbyteries  and 
other  Church  courts,  who  have  placed  their  correspond- 
ence at  my  disposal,  and  who  have  assisted  much  with 
reminiscences  and  appreciations.  Especially  and  gladly 
do  I  record  my  debt  to  Mrs.  H.  J.  Parker,  of  Winnipeg, 
for  invaluable  aid  in  arranging  and  classifying  material, 
for  suggestion  and  criticism,  for  reading  of  manuscript 
and  proof,  and  for  help  in  many  ways.  And  all  the  more 
gladly  do  I  acknowledge  her  aid,  that  I  know  it  was 
freely  given  in  loving  and  grateful  tribute  to  him  whose 
life-story  was  being  recorded. 

The  book  is  sent  forth  in  the  hope  that  it  may  inspire 
my  brethren  in  the  ministry  with  something  of  that  spirit 
of  devotion,  so  free  of  taint  of  self,  that  made  Dr.  Bobert- 
son  what  he  was,  and  that  it  may,  perhaps,  determine 

7 


MS1966 


8  PEEFACE 

some  young  man  who  has  not  yet  made  choice  of  his 
career,  to  give  his  life  to  his  country  and  his  God  in  this 
great  service  which  commanded  the  life  of  this  great 
Canadian. 

CHARLES  W.  GORDON. 

Winnipeg,  November,  1908. 


CONTENTS 

I.  DULL 13 

II.  THE  BOY  ROBERTSON        .        .        .        .16 

III.  His  FIRST  COMMUNION     ....      27 

IV.  His  FIRST  AND  ONLY  LOVE      ...       32 

V.  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO  ...      38 

VI.  AT  PRINCETON 44 

VII.  A  CITY  MISSIONARY         .        .        .        •      57 

VIII.  WIFE  AND  MANSE 68 

IX.  THE  ROBERTSON  LAND     ....      76 

X.  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIANS  IN  THE  WEST      .       79 

XI.  THE  CALL  OF  THE  WEST  ....      86 

XII.  THE  WESTWARD  TRAIL    .        .        .        •      94 

XIII.  THE  MAKING  OF  A  SUPERINTENDENT         .     101 

XIV.  A  WINNIPEG  EXPERIMENT        .        .         .     115 

XV.  A  MISSIONARY  MINISTER  .         .        .        .119 

XVI.  THE  CALL  TO  KNOX  CHURCH,  WINNIPEG  .     1 30 

XVII.  THE  PASTOR  OF  KNOX  CHURCH,  WINNIPEG     138 

XVIII.  His  WIDER  MINISTRY       .        .        .        .148 

XIX.  FROM  PASTOR  TO  SUPERINTENDENT  .        .153 

XX.  FAREWELL  TO  THE  PASTORATE          .        .161 

XXI.  GETTING  INTO  THE  SADDLE       .        .        .     171 

XXII.  THE  CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND     177 

XXIII.  FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I     .        .        .        .200 

XXIV.  FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II    .         .        .        .222 

9 


10 


CONTENTS 


XXV.  FRICTION 242 

XXVI.  GETTING  His  MEN        .        .        .        .256 

XXVII.  HANDLING  His  MEN      ....     269 

XXVIII.  CARING  FOR  His  MEN   .        .        .        .286 

XXIX.  THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  THE  PEOPLE  .     301 

XXX.  PUBLIC  MAN  AND  SCHOLAR    .        .        .313 

XXXI.  A  LONG  PULL         ...  321 

XXXII.  THE    LAST    GREAT    ADVENTURE— THE 

YUKON      .        .  '       .        .        .        .     344 

XXXIII.  THE    NIGHT  COMETH  AND  ALSO  THE 

MORNING 369 

XXXIV.  MEMORIALS 395 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Facing  page 

JAMES  ROBERTSON Title 

DR.  ROBERTSON,  TEACHER  AT  WOODSTOCK         ...       24 

DR.   ROBERTSON,  MEMBER    OF   THE    QUEENS  OWN  RIFLES, 

TORONTO  UNIVERSITY      ......       40 

DR.  ROBERTSON,  STUDENT  AT  PRINCETON  UNIVERSITY          .       54 
DR.  ROBERTSON,  AS  MINISTER  AT  NORWICH        .         .         .72 

HISTORIC    KILDONAN    CHURCHYARD    WHERE    A  NUMBER  OF 

THE  WESTERN  PIONEERS  ARE  BURIED  ....     392 

DR.  ROBERTSON'S  GRAVE  IN  THE  KILDONAN  CHURCHYARD    .     400 


ii 


The  Life  of  James  Robertson 


DULL 

OP  all  Scotland's  lovely  valleys,  none  is  lovelier 
than  that  through  which  flows  the  lordly  Tay, 
and  of  the  Tay  valley  there  is  no  lovelier  bit 
than  that  which  stretches  west  and  north  from  the  town 
of  Aberfeldy.  Out  from  the  mountains  flows  the  river, 
down  the  wide  valley,  past  sloping  fields  rich  and  fertile 
with  their  cosy  farmsteads,  sheep-runs,  lands  high  and 
bare,  decked  out  with  birches,  firs  and  beeches,  singly 
and  in  groups  and  plantations,  past  great  houses  set  within 
their  policies,  past  pretty  villages,  quaint  and  straggling, 
every  mile  rich  in  surpassing  beauty  and  historic 
interest. 

But  there  is  one  spot  where  it  were  worth  while  to 
pause,  for  it  is  the  birthplace  of  a  great  man,  whose  name 
is  written  in  large  letters  over  the  Canadian  West.  Four 
miles  west  of  the  town  of  Aberfeldy  the  river  takes  a  turn 
about  one  of  the  Grampian  spurs  which  ends  here  in  a 
bold  bluff  crag.  At  the  foot  of  the  rock,  on  the  river's 
north  bank,  lies  one  of  those  quaint  straggling  villages. 
This  bluff  crag  is  the  Kock  of  Dull,  and  this  straggling 
group  of  houses  huddling  at  its  base  is  the  village  of  Dull. 
In  this  village  James  Eobertson  was  born. 

The  glory  of  the  village  lies  in  the  past.  The  ruins 
strewn  everywhere  about,  gaunt  and  bare  or  half- covered 

13 


14         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

with  kindly  turf,  proclaim  that.  It  is  an  ancient  village 
getting  its  name  from  the  ninth  abbot  of  lona  who,  when 
dying,  commanded  that  they  should  bear  his  body  east- 
ward towards  Strathray  till  the  withes  by  which  the  cof- 
fin hung,  should  break.  At  the  foot  of  a  precipitous 
rock  on  the  north  side  of  the  Tay  the  withes  broke. 
There  they  laid  his  saintly  body  to  rest,  and  from  the 
breaking  of  the  withes,  dhullan,  they  named  the  spot 
"Dhull,"  modern  Dull.  The  place  became  a  famous 
educational  and  ecclesiastical  centre.  A  college  was  es- 
tablished and  a  monastery  founded,  with  right  of  sanc- 
tuary attached,  within  a  radius  marked  by  crosses,  of 
which  one,  sorely  battered,  still  stands  in  the  village.  In 
the  time  of  Crinan,  the  fighting  Bishop  of  Dunkeld,  son- 
in-law  to  King  Malcolm  II,  and  father  of  Duncan,  the  un- 
fortunate victim  of  Macbeth' s  ambition,  the  landhol  dings 
pertaining  to  the  monastery  of  which  Crinan  was  tenth 
abbot,  were  greatly  extended.  The  memory  of  this  mon- 
astery demesne  is  preserved  in  the  Appin  Abbatania  of 
Dull.  But  long  before  the  Reformation  the  monastery 
was  dissolved  and  the  college  transferred  to  St.  Andrew's, 
thus  becoming  the  nucleus  of  the  oldest  of  the  Scottish 
universities. 

In  those  great  old  days  Dull  was  not  only  an  educational 
and  ecclesiastical  centre  ;  it  was  a  populous,  commercial 
metropolis  as  well,  with  streets  devpted  to  certain  trades 
and  offering  the  principal  produce  market  for  the  sur- 
rounding district.  But  now  of  this  ancient  greatness,  ed- 
ucational, ecclesiastical  and  commercial,  all  that  remains 
is  the  parish  school,  the  parish  church,  itself  a  pre-Ref- 
ormation  relic  recently  restored  to  its  former  splendour, 
the  straggling  village,  and  those  eloquent  gaunt  or  turf- 
clothed  ruins.  Unchanged  by  the  passing  years,  the  old 
gray  Rock  abides,  and  the  flowing  river,  for  the  genera- 
tions of  men  come  and  go,  leaving  ruins  behind  to  show 


DULL  15 

where  they  have  been  and  where  they  have  wrought ! 
Euins  I  Yes,  but  more  than  ruins.  For  lives  of  men  are 
more  enduring  than  grim  rocks  and  flowing  rivers.  They 
never  die,  but  in  a  people's  character  and  in  a  people's 
influence  and  in  a  people's  work  in  their  home  lands  and 
in  lands  far  across  the  sea,  they  live  eternally. 


II 

THE  BOY  ROBERTSON 


r  ""^HE  Eobertson  clan  is  numerous  and  widely  dis- 
tributed throughout  Scotland.  A  very  humble 

JL  member  of  the  clan  was  James  Eobertson  who, 
leaving  his  father's  farm  of  Lurgan,  near  Dull,  went  up 
to  Loch  Tayside  and  took  to  himself  a  wife,  a  farmer's 
daughter,  one  Christina  McCallum,  and  settled  to  work 
upon  the  Breadlabane  estates  near  by,  thence  to  a  farm 
for  a  time,  later  to  work  as  a  day-labourer  for  a  brother 
of  Sir  Eobert  Menzies.  Afterwards  he  ventured  to  take 
a  small  sheep-farm,  but  all  along  it  was  a  struggle,  and 
he  never  made  very  much  out  of  it. 

To  James  Eobertson  and  Christina  McCallum  were 
born  six  sons  and  two  daughters.  Of  these,  James,  the 
subject  of  this  biography,  was  the  third  child  and  son, 
born  April  24,  1839.  His  father  was  a  " quiet"  man, 
hard-toiling,  God-fearing,  patient  and  persistent,  whose 
only  pride  was  his  honesty,  and  whose  only  ambition  was 
to  rear  his  family  "  respectably "  till  they  could  do  for 
themselves.  Of  the  mother  something  more  must  be  said. 
For  it  was  to  her  that  the  boy  James  owed  his  eager,  am- 
bitious spirit,  his  indomitable  will,  his  shrewd  common 
sense,  and  that  genius  for  getting  things  done  which  dis- 
tinguished him  in  after-life.  "  She  was  a  little  woman," 
writes  one  of  her  daughters.  "  There  was  nothing  that 
any  woman  could  do  that  she  could  not  do,  and  when  it 
was  done  it  needed  no  second  doing."  She  was,  indeed, 
a  rare  woman,  alert  of  mind  and  quick  of  speech,  devoted 

16 


THE  BOY  ROBERTSON  17 

to  the  well-being  of  her  family,  toiling  early  and  late  in 
the  unceasing  struggle  for  daily  bread,  but  cherishing  se- 
cretly an  ambition  for  her  children  that  became  the  con- 
trolling force  in  her  life.  From  his  earliest  days  she  had 
unbounded  faith  in  the  future  of  her  boy  James,  and  this, 
with  her  native  pride,  made  her  impatient  of  anything 
like  criticism  of  the  lad.  One  record  says  that  James 
Robertson  was  one  of  the  most  ragged  children  who  went 
to  the  Dull  school.  One  day  a  neighbouring  farmer  hav- 
ing some  words  with  the  mother,  reflected  somewhat 
scornfully  upon  the  boy's  somewhat  ragged  appearance. 
With  a  quick  flash  of  her  Highland  and  family  pride,  the 
mother  retorted,  "Indeed,  and  very  likely  my  son  will 
some  day  think  himself  low  enough  to  dip  his  spoon  in 
the  same  basin  with  any  of  your  family.'7 

She  was  clever  not  only  with  her  tongue,  but  with  hand 
and  foot.  It  is  told  of  her  that  being  in  need  of  a  shawl 
of  particular  make  and  not  being  able  to  buy  it  in  Dull, 
she  walked  all  the  way  to  Crieff,  a  distance  of  twenty- 
seven  miles  over  the  hills,  to  secure  the  shawl.  She  was 
back  with  her  purchase  the  same  day. 

From  the  very  first  the  mother  saw  that  of  all  her  chil- 
dren it  was  James  who  was  possessed  of  the  greatest  apt- 
ness for  learning,  and  so,  as  far  as  was  consistent  with  the 
necessities  of  the  home,  he  attended  the  parish  school,  his 
attendance  being  interrupted  by  the  demands  made  upon 
him  for  herding  on  the  neighbouring  estates,  for  acting  as 
gillie  in  the  shooting  time,  or  for  the  performance  of 
household  work  while  his  mother  was  employed  upon  the 
neighbouring  farms.  But  in  spite  of  all  they  could  do, 
his  early  school  days  were  much  broken,  not  only  by  the 
need  of  his  labour  in  the  home  and  in  the  fields,  but  by  a 
severe  illness  as  well,  which  seriously  interfered  with  con- 
tinuous study.  At  twelve  years  of  age,  however,  the  boy 
began  something  like  steady  attendance  at  school,  and 


18         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

when  the  opportunity  so  long  delayed  came  to  him  at 
last,  he  went  eagerly  at  his  books. 

He  was  distinguished  for  a  memory  of  remarkable 
tenacity,  and  by  a  perseverance  unconquerable  in  the 
pursuit  of  knowledge.  We  are  told  he  took  little  part  in 
the  school  games,  preferring  to  walk  about  with  a  book  in 
his  hand.  But  in  spite  of  this  he  was  well  liked  by  the 
boys,  and  as  a  friend  says  of  him,  i  i  He  was  no  duffer,  but 
enjoyed  fun  as  much  as  any  of  them."  Though  even  of 
temper  and  self-controlled,  he  was  a  "  terrible  fighter," 
his  master  says,  "when  fighting  was  to  be  done."  So, 
though  he  won  no  distinction  on  the  playground,  he  held 
his  own  with  his  mates,  and  easily  carried  the  palm  as 
being  the  most  notable  scholar  of  the  district  school. 
His  old  master,  Alexander  McNaughton,  writes  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  James  was  very  often  taken  from  his  lessons  to  help 
his  mother  in  household  work  when  she  would  be  em- 
ployed at  outdoor  toil  on  neighbouring  farms,  yet,  de- 
spite this,  he  outstripped  his  classmates,  especially  in 
Latin,  arithmetic,  and  geometry.  He  had  a  clear  head, 
great  powers  of  concentration,  and  a  memory  so  retentive 
that  he  seldom  forgot  what  was  worth  remembering.  Of 
all  the  boys  whom  I  have  put  through  the  scholastic  mill 
in  a  period  of  forty  years,  none  gave  me  more  pleasure 
or  raised  my  hopes  of  his  success  higher  than  did  James 
Robertson." 

When  he  was  about  fifteen  years  of  age  there  was  a 
contest  instituted  between  schools  of  the  three  parishes. 
The  best  scholars  from  each  of  the  schools  competed,  and, 
with  them,  some  lads  who  had  been  two  years  at  the 
college.  There  seemed  small  chance  for  the  Dull  scholar, 
handicapped  as  he  was  by  his  late  beginning  and  his 
broken  attendance.  But  undaunted,  he  entered  the  com- 
petition with  all  the  energy  he  possessed  of  body,  mind 


THE  BOY  ROBERTSON  19 

and  spirit.  The  great  day  arrived,  and  at  it  they  went 
and  continued  at  it  the  whole  day  long.  As  the  hours 
pass  the  combatants  fall  out  one  by  one  till  a  college  lad 
and  Eobertson  of  Dull  are  left  alone.  On  into  the  night 
they  continue  the  struggle  until,  dazed  but  undaunted,  at 
two  o'clock  next  morning,  Robertson  is  declared  the 
winner.  a  He  never  let  go  what  he  once  took  a  grip  of," 
says  another  friend,  a  significant  forecast,  surely,  of  a 
later  characteristic. 

He  was  good  at  Latin,  and  though  Gaelic  was  his 
mother  tongue  and  the  only  tongue  he  knew  to  converse 
in  till  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  was  good  at  book 
English,  too  ;  but  his  strong  point  was  arithmetic.  When 
he  was  about  sixteen,  a  problem  that  had  given  some 
trouble  in  the  college  in  Edinburgh  was  sent  down  to  the 
master  at  Dull. 

"  If  any  of  them  can  solve  it,"  said  the  master,  "it  will 
be  Robertson."  And  to  Robertson  he  gave  it,  who  took 
it  home  and  fell  upon  it.  When  his  father  was  going  to 
bed  that  night  he  said  to  his  boy  : 

"  Are  you  not  comin'  to  your  bed,  lad?" 

"  Yes,  after  a  while,"  replied  the  boy,  hardly  looking 
up  from  his  slate.  But  when  next  morning  the  father 
came  in  to  light  the  fire,  James  rose  from  the  spot  where 
he  had  been  left  sitting  the  night  before,  with  the  solu- 
tion of  the  problem  in  his  hands.  No  wonder  that  he  was 
the  delight  and  pride  of  the  master  and  of  his  fellows  in 
the  school ! 

But  as  the  years  went  on,  times  with  the  Robertsons 
grew  worse  and  the  mother's  dream  of  a  college  educa- 
tion for  her  son,  in  which  he  secretly  shared,  seemed  to 
become  less  and  less  likely  to  be  realized,  till  in  1854  a 
terrible  storm  fell  upon  the  Tayside,  burying  flocks  and 
herds  and  cots  beneath  its  masses  of  snow,  and  bringing 
ruin  to  many  a  small  sheep -farmer.  There  followed  a 


20         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

period  of  great  depression,  so  great,  indeed,  that  James 
Robertson,  who  had  lost  almost  all  that  he  had,  lost  heart 
as  well,  and  resolved  to  leave  his  native  land  and  try  his 
fortune  in  Canada. 

Canada  was  at  that  day  a  far-off  place  and  wild,  and  it 
is  almost  impossible  for  us  to  imagine  the  feelings  with 
which  these  Scottish  people,  with  their  passionate  love 
for  their  native  hills  and  their  yearning  for  their  "ain 
fowk,"  contemplated  emigration  to  the  backwoods  of 
Canada  so  far  and  so  fearsome.  But,  while  Scotland  held 
all  or  almost  all  that  their  hearts  could  cling  to,  Scotland 
had  little  to  offer  the  labouring  man  in  the  way  of  reward 
for  present  toil,  and  less  in  the  way  of  hope  of  future  ad- 
vancement for  his  family.  Then,  too,  the  word  that  came 
back  from  James  McCallum,  Mrs.  Robertson's  brother 
who  had  gone  to  Canada  some  years  before,  was  encour- 
aging. He  had  done  well  for  himself  and  his  family  out 
there.  So,  after  long  deliberation  and  much  prayer,  and 
after  earnest  consultation  with  their  minister,  though 
with  few  others,  for  the  Robertsons  kept  "  themselves  to 
themselves,"  the  resolve  was  taken  and  to  Canada  they 
would  go. 

At  this  juncture  arose  a  question  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance to  the  family  as  a  whole,  but  especially  to  the 
boy  James  and  to  his  mother.  Shortly  before  their  de- 
parture the  parish  minister  brought  an  offer  from  the 
trustees  of  what  was  known  as  the  Stewart  bequest,  the 
proceeds  of  which  were  to  be  devoted  to  the  education  of 
bright  lads  in  the  district,  to  undertake  the  education 
of  James  if  he  would  remain  behind.  It  was  a  time  of 
sore  trial  for  them  all,  but  at  length  one  and  all  agreed 
that  it  could  not  be.  'Not  even  for  the  college  education, 
so  long  desired  and  so  toilfully  sought,  could  they  bear 
to  leave  the  boy  behind. 

So,  in  1855,  James  Robertson  and  his  family  set  sail  in 


THE  BOY  ROBERTSON  21 

the  George  Roger  for  Canada,  and  settled  beside  James 
McCallum  in  the  township  of  East  Oxford,  Ontario. 

Among  his  few  possessions  the  lad  carried  as  his  most 
priceless  treasure  the  certificate  from  his  old  master,  as 
follows  : 

"  That  James  Robertson  attended  the  parish  school  of 
Dull  from  December,  1851,  to  date  hereof,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  English,  reading,  grammar,  writing,  arithmetic, 
geography,  and  religious  knowledge,  that  he  acquired^, 
reasonable  acquaintance  with  the  elements  of  Latin  and 
was  reading  Csesar  and  Ovid,  that  he  studied  mathe- 
matics with  much  success,  having  mastered  the  first  four 
books  of  Euclid's  elements  and  algebra  as  far  as  quad- 
ratic equations,  that  his  progress  in  the  above  enumer- 
ated branches  was  more  than  usually  rapid,  and  his 
moral  character  and  conduct  in  the  highest  degree  satis- 
factory ;  but  notwithstanding  his  being  a  young  man  of 
modest  and  unassuming  manners,  his  natural  abilities 
were  conspicuous  as  well  during  ordinary  school  exercises 
as  on  examination  days,  on  which  occasions  he  invariably 
carried  away  the  highest  prizes.  That  he  is  leaving  this 
locality  for  the  purpose  of  emigrating  to  America  and 
that  whether  he  be  there  employed  in  teaching  the  young, 
in  which  capacity  he  has  had  some  experience  while 
assisting  me,  or  in  any  other  occupation  to  which  Provi- 
dence may  call  him,  I  feel  sure  that  his  wonted  diligence 
and  perseverance  will  accompany  him  and  success  crown 
his  labours,  is  certified  at  the  schoolhouse  of  Dull,  in 
the  county  of  Perth,  by  Alexander  McNaughton,  parish 
schoolmaster,  May  9,  1855." 

With  a  certificate  of  this  kind  from  a  parish  school- 
master of  Mr.  McNaugh  ton's  well-known  ability  and 
reserve  of  speech,  James  might  indeed  front  much.  On 
a  visit  to  his  native  parish  many  years  afterwards  he 
writes  as  follows  to  his  old  master  : 


22         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"No.  20  Mound  Place,  Edinburgh,  April  2,  1897. 

"MY  DEAR  MR.   McNAUGHTON  I  — 

"  I  have  never  lost  my  interest  in  the  school  of  Dull  or 
in  its  pupils,  and  I  anticipate  no  small  pleasure  in  my  intended 
visit  to  renew  acquaintance  with  scenes  once  familiar.  Rivers 
and  roads,  hills  and  woods  continue  the  same,  although  familiar 
faces  have  disappeared  and  strange  faces  have  taken  their 
place.  I  wish,  therefore,  to  send  some  three  pounds'  worth  of 
books  to  my  old  school  in  prizes  to  the  pupils  attending  there 
now  and  I  would  like  very  much  if  you  would  oblige  me  by 
selecting  them.  I  have  perfect  confidence  in  your  judgment 
as  to  the  books  and  the  subjects  for  which  they  are  to  be  given. 
I  mention  three  pounds,  but  should  three  pounds  not  do  justice 
to  the  school,  make  it  four  or  even  five.  To  the  teacher  and 
not  to  the  school  as  such  do  I  owe  what  of  good  I  got  in  Dull, 
but  yet  this  is  the  only  way  I  can  indicate  that  I  have  not 
forgotten  the  scenes  of  early  days. 

"  With  much  respect  I  am,  dear  sir, 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"  JAMES  ROBERTSON." 


Western  Ontario  was,  at  that  time,  but  sparsely  settled. 
The  Great  Western  Railway  had  not  long  been  opened. 
At  the  front,  along  river  and  lake,  settlements  clustered, 
but  in  the  backwoods  counties,  vast  sections  of  the  forest 
primeval  remained  unbroken  and  immigrants,  pushing 
their  way  past  the  homes  of  early  settlers,  found  them- 
selves in  the  midst  of  this  unbroken  forest,  and  faced 
with  the  labour  of  hewing  themselves  homes  out  of  its 
gloomy  and  terrible  depths. 

The  first  summer  was  spent  in  enlarging  the  clearing 
upon  their  farm.  The  winter  following,  James  with  the 
other  boys,  chopped  cord -wood  and  hauled  it  to  the  neigh- 
bouring village  of  Woodstock.  For  a  part  of  the  follow- 
ing summer  he  laboured  again  at  farm-work,  but  for  a 
few  weeks  of  that  summer  he  walked  night  and  morning 
a  distance  of  six  miles  to  attend  school  at  Woodstock, 
carrying  his  dinner  with  him.  When  the  time  for  the 


THE  BOY  EOBEETSON  23 

teachers'  examinations  arrived,  James  asked  for  the  privi- 
lege of  writing.  His  teacher,  however,  objected  because 
of  his  short  attendance  upon  school.  The  boy  was  not  to 
be  balked.  Too  long  had  he  had  the  university  and 
college  in  view.  Other  boys  were  making  their  way, 
therefore  why  should  not  he  ?  He  went  to  his  minister, 
the  Eev.  Mr.  McDermot,  of  Chalmers  Church,  Wood- 
stock, and  stated  his  case,  showing  his  much  prized 
certificate  from  the  parish  schoolmaster  of  Dull.  The 
minister  was  greatly  impressed,  not  only  with  the  certifi- 
cate he  presented,  but  also  with  his  determined  spirit. 
The  boy  had,  indeed,  a  "  terrible  jaw."  He  tried  to 
persuade  young  Eobertson  that  it  would  be  wiser  for  him 
to  delay  his  attempt,  urging  that  he  was  not  used  to  the 
Canadian  style  of  work  and  of  examinations.  It  was  all 
in  vain.  Eobertson  would  not  be  stopped.  He  only 
wanted  a  chance,  and  finally  the  minister  went  to  the 
teacher  and  persuaded  him  to  let  the  lad  have  his  way. 
That  "terrible  jaw"  of  the  boy  had  appealed  to  the 
minister.  The  teacher  agreed  and  the  papers  were  given 
to  Eobertson  who,  when  the  examination  was  over,  went 
back  to  his  home  and  his  work  at  the  clearing  of  the  land 
and  the  gathering  in  of  the  crops. 

The  weeks  passed  and  there  was  no  news  of  the  exami- 
nation. Young  Eobertson  was  disappointed.  He  had 
been  too  impatient  and  too  confident  of  himself,  and  it 
would  have  been  wiser  to  have  taken  the  minister's  ad- 
vice. It  was  his  first  failure,  and  the  lad  took  it  quietly 
enough,  but  with  a  keen  sense  of  defeat. 

One  day  in  the  late  fall,  his  younger  brother,  Archie, 
was  sent  with  another  lad  to  a  neighbouring  post- 
office.  Hearing  his  name,  the  postmistress  called  out  to 
him: 

" Have  you  a  brother  James? " 

"Yes." 


24         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"Then  here's  a  letter  for  him  that's  been  here  for 
three  months,"  and  handed  out  a  long  blue  envelope. 

It  was  the  teacher's  certificate,  long  coveted  and  long 
despaired  of.  The  envelope  was  opened  in  the  presence 
of  the  family  and  became  the  occasion  of  a  suppressed 
jubilation.  But  afterwards  the  boy  carried  it  out  to  the 
back  of  the  house  and  there  gloated  upon  it. 

And  now  for  a  school.  The  Corner  School  where  the 
Governor's  Road  meets  the  Tenth  Line  of  East  Zorra,  was 
vacant.  Robertson  applied  for  it,  sending  in  his  certifi- 
cate. The  boy  had  not  walked  his  six  miles  back  and 
forth,  to  and  from  Woodstock,  without  being  noticed. 
He  got  his  school  and  began  work  as  teacher  in  January 
of  1857,  at  the  age  of  eighteen. 

He  was  a  raw,  awkward,  uncouth  lad.  His  clothes 
were  made  by  the  travelling  tailor,  and  none  too  elegant. 
His  manners  and  speech  were  abrupt  almost  to  the  point 
of  rudeness  at  times,  but  he  carried  into  his  work  a  pur- 
pose to  get  the  best  out  of  himself  and  out  of  that  little 
company  of  boys  and  girls  that  faced  him  in  the  Corner 
School.  He  was  stern  in  discipline — a  distinguished  mem- 
ber of  the  House  of  Commons,  the  Hon.  James  Suther- 
land, wrote  that  he  remembered  well  a  birching  he  had  at 
his  hands— but  he  seldom  needed  to  use  the  birch.  He 
kept  his  pupils  so  busy  that  they  had  little  time  for  mis- 
chief. He  filled  them  with  his  own  enthusiasm  for  work. 
One  of  his  pupils,  who  lived  at  the  teacher's  boarding 
place,  writes : 

"One  evening  we  came  upon  a  problem  in  Gray's 
Arithmetic  about  oxen  grazing  in  a  field,  and  the  grass 
growing  uniformly,  the  question  being  how  long  the  grass 
in  the  field  would  support  the  oxen.  This  was  one  of  the 
knotty  questions  of  that  day.  The  solution  not  coming 
as  easily  as  was  customary  and  bedtime  having  arrived, 
I  proposed  retiring.  I  can  see  him  yet,  how  he  rose  up, 


Dr.   Robertson 
TeacKer    at   \Voodstock 


THE  BOY  ROBERTSON  25 

put  off  his  coat  and  sat  down  to  it.  I  went  to  bed  and 
was  soon  in  the  land  where  such  problems  cease  to  trouble 
a  boy,  but  after  some  time  he  wakened  me  up,  solution  in 
hand,  and  sought  to  make  plain  to  me,  still  drowsy  with 
sleep,  the  points  of  the  problem.  There  was  no  shirking 
and  no  scamping  in  the  work  done  in  that  school." 

The  teacher's  boarding  place  was  the  house  of  Mr.  Peter 
McLeod,  who  was  a  distiller  in  a  small  way.  This  dis- 
tilling industry  throughout  Ontario  was  primitive  in  its 
nature  and  primitive  in  operation.  It  was  the  custom  for 
the  farmers  to  take  their  "  tailings"  of  wheat  and  rye  and 
barley  to  the  mill  in  Woodstock,  where  they  were  chopped 
and  made  ready  for  Peter  McLeod' s  still.  Peter  was  an 
honest  man  and  made  honest  whiskey,  part  of  which  he 
gave  to  the  farmers  for  their  chopped  tailings,  and  the 
rest  he  retailed  at  twenty-five  cents  a  gallon.  Oh,  blissful 
days  for  drouthy  Scots  !  Of  course,  to  all  in  the  house 
the  whiskey  was  as  free  as  water,  for  Peter  was  as  kindly 
as  he  was  honest,  so  the  young  teacher  with  the  rest  was 
welcome  to  his  "  fill "  of  whiskey.  In  those  good  old  days 
there  were  no  faddy  notions  about  total  abstinence  and 
that  sort  of  thing.  Whiskey  was  not  so  much  rated 
among  the  luxuries,  but  among  the  necessities  of  life.  No 
house  could  afford  to  be  without  it.  Hospitality  de- 
manded that  it  should  welcome  the  coming  and  speed  the 
parting  guest.  At  the  logging-bees  and  raisings,  the 
chopping  and  the  threshing,  whiskey  was  a  plain  neces- 
sity, while  at  weddings,  christenings,  and  funerals,  it  was 
equally  indispensable.  For  who  would  be  so  mean  as  to 
fail  to  provide  what  would  lend  wings  to  dancing  feet, 
pledge  life  and  prosperity  to  the  newly  christened  babe, 
and  bring  comfort  to  the  heart  in  sorrow?  Wrong? 
What  wrong  could  there  be  in  honest  whiskey  made  by 
Peter  McLeod  out  of  their  own  wheat  and  rye  and  barley  ? 
And  didn't  the  ministers  and  the  elders  and  all  godly  men 


26         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  EOBERTSON 

take  their  decent  glass,  asking  God's  blessing  over  it  as 
over  any  other  good  creature  of  His?  Tut,  man,  what 
would  you  have  !  And  what  if  some  of  the  weak-headed 
did  take  "a  wee  drap7'  too  much!  No  blame  to  the 
whiskey  for  that,  surely,  but  to  the  men  who  were  not  fit 
to  use  it.  And  as  for  hurting  any  one,  look  at  Peter  Mc- 
Leod  himself,  who  had  barrels  of  it  and  who  dipped  it 
out  with  a  dipper.  Did  any  one  ever  see  him  the  worse  ? 
Not  a  bit. 

This  was  the  temperance  atmosphere  of  the  day,  and  in 
Peter  McLeod's  distillery  it  was  that  the  young  Scotch 
Canadian  lad  took  up  his  abode  on  his  first  venture  from 
home.  But  it  was  Peter  McLeod's  distillery,  too,  that 
made  young  Robertson  a  total  abstainer  for  life,  and  an 
enthusiast  in  the  propagation  of  total  abstinence  princi- 
ples. For  he  had  seen  that  same  Peter  McLeod'  s  whiskey, 
good  and  honest  as  it  was,  make  beasts  out  of  men,  turn 
the  kindly  gatherings  of  neighbours  into  scenes  of  revelry 
and  brawling,  and,  indeed,  not  even  the  sacred  ranks  of 
the  church-members  were  safe  from  its  dreadful  inroads. 
Peter  McLeod  might  take  his  own  whiskey  in  sober  mod- 
eration and  with  little  hurt  to  him,  but  there  were  others 
who  could  only  drink  it  to  their  ruin  and  degradation. 
Robertson  became  a  rabid  teetotaler,  and  it  says  something 
for  the  influence  of  his  personality  that  a  young  man  liv- 
ing in  the  same  house  with  him  became,  like  him,  a  total 
abstainer.  Long  years  afterwards  that  young  man,  now 
an  honoured  minister  of  the  Gospel,  wrote  : 

"  Robertson  always  acted  the  missionary,  and  I  was  one 
of  his  converts  to  total  abstinence  on  principle.  We  did 
not  take  or  make  any  pledge,  but  I  can  thank  God  for 
meeting  Robertson  when  I  was  young.77 


Ill 

HIS  FIRST  COMMUNION 

A  •  ^SHE  joyful  and  awful  solemnities  of  a  Highland 
Communion  are  no  longer  known  except  in  the 

JL  more  remote  parishes  of  Canada  and  perhaps  of 
Scotland.  But  fifty  years  ago  the  Communion  Season  was 
a  great  event  in  a  Highland  congregation.  It  was,  in- 
deed, the  great  ecclesiastical  event  of  the  year.  It  was 
more  ;  it  was  the  social  event  as  well.  It  was  the  chrono- 
logical pivot  of  the  seasons.  By  it  men  calculated  their 
days.  A  month  before  the  appointed  date,  due  intima- 
tion was  made  of  the  approach  of  the  sacred  time,  and  as 
the  announcement  fell  from  their  minister's  lips,  the  con- 
gregation experienced  their  first  solemn  thrill  of  self-ex- 
amination. The  ministers  from  a  distance,  who  six  months 
before  had  been  engaged  to  assist,  were  reminded  of  the 
engagement  and  assigned  their  parts.  As  the  day  drew 
near,  the  people  gave  themselves  to  a  general  cleaning  up 
both  of  hearts  and  of  homes.  Housewives  were  especially 
active  "  redding  up  "  and  stocking  larders  in  preparation 
for  a  generous  hospitality.  For  from  far  and  near  came 
the  people  without  thought  of  invitation,  assured  of  a 
welcome ;  every  home  stood  wide  open  and  every  table  was 
free. 

The  season  opened  on  Thursday  with  a  solemn  fast, 
the  sermons  of  the  day  being  especially  fitted  to  assist  in 
the  serious  business  of  self-examination.  There  was  no 
trifling  with  facts,  no  glossing  over  of  sins,  no  juggling 
with  conscience.  With  truly  terrible  and  heart-shaking 
eloquence,  the  preacher  pursued  the  agonized  sinner  from 

27 


28         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

one  "refuge  of  lies"  to  another,  till,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Cross,  humble,  broken,  penitent,  but  justified  by  faith, 
he  found  peace  with  God.  It  was  a  tremendous  experi- 
ence and  through  this  experience  of  the  fast  day  the 
intending  communicants  passed,  emerging  as  from  a  bath 
of  fire,  with  a  sense  of  cleanness  unspeakably  precious, 
prepared  to  enjoy  the  "  further  exercises  "  with  chastened 
exultation.  Who  that  has  known  this  experience  can 
ever  forget  it?  And  who  can  say  how  much  is  lost  out 
of  the  Church's  life  by  the  passing  of  the  Communion 
Season.  To  the  men  of  that  day  there  were  great  and 
awful  verities  behind  the  words  "  holiness, "  "sin,"  "re- 
demption" j  and  the  Church  from  whose  vision  these 
verities  have  faded  has  lost  the  secret  of  moral  and  spirit- 
ual dynamic. 

Friday  was  the  Question  Day,  the  great  field-day  of 
Presbyterian  democracy,  when  the  ministers  and  the 
"  men  "  upon  equal  terms  discussed  high  themes  in  their 
purely  theological  as  well  as  in  their  more  practical 
bearing. 

On  Saturday  the  "tokens"  were  distributed  to  the 
"intending  communicants,"  and  as  each  went  up  before 
the  assembled  congregation  to  receive  the  token  of  ad- 
mission to  the  Table,  a  solemn  sense  of  responsibility 
deepened  upon  the  soul. 

Then  came  the  Sabbath  day,  the  great  day  of  the 
feast,  when  the  Table  was  spread  and,  after  the  action 
sermon  and  the  fencing  of  the  Table,  in  solemn  quiet  the 
sac-red  emblems  were  distributed  to  a  people  who,  with 
hearts  humble,  chastened,  cleansed,  were  waiting  in  glad 
expectation  for  the  coming  of  the  Master. 

The  season  closed  with  the  Thanksgiving  on  Monday, 
a  service  in  which  the  deepest,  sweetest,  tenderest  emo- 
tions flooded  the  heart.  Then  from  the  "Mount  of  Ordi- 
nances" the  people  descended  to  the  plane  of  common 


HIS  FIRST  COMMUNION  29 

life  with  hearts  subdued  but  strong  and  jubilant  and 
ready  for  the  pilgrimage  and  the  conflict. 

He  reads  Scottish  religious  life  only  upon  the  sheerest 
surface  who  finds  in  it  chiefly  gloom  and  heart-heaviness. 
Gravity  there  was,  for  men  were  facing  serious  issues 
earnestly ;  sorrows,  too,  the  poignant  sorrow  of  honest 
hearts  conscious  of  their  sin.  But  the  deepest  emotions, 
sacredly  guarded  from  curious  eyes  and  indulged  with 
due  moderation,  were  warm  gratitude,  love,  and  humble 

joy. 

Young  Eobertson  had  been  possessed  from  childhood 
of  deep  religious  feeling,  with  a  profound  reverence  for 
things  sacred — the  Church,  the  Word  of  God,  the  Sab- 
bath day,  but  especially  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  He  shared  with  the  Highlanders  of  his  time 
their  almost  superstitious  veneration  of  that  sacred  ordi- 
nance, and  the  mere  thought  of  making  a  public  pro- 
fession of  his  faith,  filled  him  with  awe.  In  the  common 
opinion  of  the  day,  to  "go  forward "  was  to  assume  a 
most  solemn  and  even  dreadful  responsibility.  To  many, 
doubt  was  a  sign  of  depth  of  spiritual  experience  and  of 
insight  into  the  mysteries ;  fear  was  the  symbol  of  pro- 
found knowledge  of  the  subtleties  of  Satan  and  of  the 
sin  native  to  the  human  soul.  Any  indication  of  assur- 
ance or  confidence  towards  God  was  regarded  with  suspi- 
cion. Consequently,  the  privileges  of  l  i  full  communion  " 
were  supposed  to  belong  only  to  men  of  years  and  of  ripe 
experience.  That  a  young  man  should  take  upon  him- 
self such  a  responsibility  was  regarded  as  savouring  of 
that  ignorance  and  presumption  characteristic  of  the 
heart  as  yet  unacquainted  with  its  own  possibilities  of 
error  and  unregenerate  pride.  And  so  at  a  Highland 
Communion,  among  those  who  surrounded  the  Table, 
there  were  comparatively  few  with  young  faces.  These 
were  to  be  found  in  the  side  pews  or  in  the  gallery, 


30         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

regarding  with  often  sadly  wistful  eyes  the  observance 
of  the  sacred  rite. 

But  with  Robertson  the  sense  of  duty  was  overpower  - 
ingly  strong  and,  though  he  shared  to  a  large  degree  the 
opinions,  the  superstitions,  and  the  feelings  of  his  time  and 
of  his  people,  the  fact  that  he  had,  as  teacher  of  the  district 
school,  stepped  out  into  life  for  himself  and  assumed  the 
responsibilities  of  manhood,  laid  upon  his  conscience  the 
duty  of  making  profession  of  the  faith  that  was  in  him. 

As  an  adherent  of  Chalmers  Church,  Woodstock,  he 
had  made  it  his  weekly  custom  to  attend  both  morning 
and  evening  services,  although  this  involved  a  walk  of 
eight  miles  every  Sabbath  day.  Having  made  up  his 
mind  as  to  his  duty,  Robertson  immediately  approached 
his  minister,  the  Rev.  Mr.  McDermot,  as  an  applicant 
for  admission  to  the  church.  The  minister  encouraged 
him  in  his  purpose  and  in  due  time  he  was  accepted  by 
the  Session.  The  week  preceding  the  Communion  was  one 
of  unusual  solemnity  to  the  young  man.  His  thorough- 
going nature,  his  religious  training,  his  own  fidelity  to 
conscience,  impelled  him  to  rigid  and  unflinching  self- 
examination.  His  motives  were  viewed  and  reviewed 
with  the  exactest  scrutiny.  His  state  of  heart  was  con- 
sidered with  anxious  care.  His  daily  life  was  scanned 
with  searching  thoroughness.  The  experience  of  that 
week  Robertson  never  forgot.  But  the  Sabbath  morning 
found  him  calmly  resolved.  With  a  young  friend  he  set 
off  early  for  his  two  mile  walk  to  the  church.  The 
memory  of  that  serene  Sabbath  morning  is  still  vivid  in 
the  heart  of  his  young  friend  who  thus  writes  : 

"We  started  as  usual  to  walk  two  miles  to  church. 
As  we  went  along  the  Governor's  Road  there  was  a  bush, 
f  Light's  Woods, '  on  the  south  side  of  the  road.  Rob- 
ertson suggested  that  we  turn  aside  into  the  bush,  not 
saying  for  what  purpose.  We  penetrated  it  a  short 


HIS  FIRST  COMMUNION  31 

distance  when,  with  a  rising  hill  on  our  right  and  on 
comparatively  level  ground,  the  tall  maples  waving  their 
lofty  heads  far  above  us  and  the  stillness  of  the  calm, 
sunny  day  impressing  us  with  a  sense  of  the  awful,  we 
came  to  a  large  stone.  Robertson  proposed  that  we 
engage  in  prayer.  We  knelt  down  together.  He  prayed 
that  he  might  be  true  to  the  vows  he  was  about  to  take, 
true  to  God  and  ever  faithful  in  His  service,  and  then  he 
prayed  for  me  also.  This  scene  was  deeply  impressed 
upon  my  mind.  We  rose  up,  put  on  our  hats,  regained 
the  road  and  went  on  our  way  to  church.  The  youngest 
member  at  the  Table  that  day  was  the  young  master 
from  the  Corner  School." 

Uniting  with  the  church,  with  characteristic  energy, 
he  set  himself  to  make  good  the  profession  of  his  faith. 
He  took  up  Sabbath-school  work,  taught  a  class  himself, 
and  was  frequently  called  upon  to  review  the  lesson  be- 
fore the  whole  school.  But  even  at  this  early  day,  Rob- 
ertson had  the  missionary's  eye  for  the  people  of  the 
byways  and  hedges.  There  were  in  Woodstock  at  this 
time  a  large  number  of  Gaelic-speaking  people  from 
Cape  Breton.  To  these  he  became  a  missionary,  visiting 
them  and  conducting  services  for  them  on  the  Sabbath 
day  in  their  own  language.  This  instinct  for  the  neg- 
lected and  forgotten  it  was  that  became  so  large  a  part  of 
his  equipment  for  the  great  work  that  fell  to  him  in  later 
life. 

Chalmers  Church,  Woodstock,  may  be  allowed  some 
laudable  pride  in  the  fact  that  the  two  great  representa- 
tive missionaries  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Canada 
in  both  foreign  and  home  lands — Mackay  of  Formosa  and 
Robertson  of  Western  Canada— took  their  first  Com- 
munion in  fellowship  with  that  congregation. 


IV 

HIS  FIRST  AND  ONLY  LOVE 

THE  reputation  gained  as  a  teacher  and  especially 
as  a  master  of  discipline,  during  his  two  and  a 
half  years  in  the  Corner  School,  secured  for  him 
a  larger  sphere  of  work  in  a  school  near  Innerkip,  where 
for  three  years,  from  1859  to  1863,  he  gave  himself  with 
the  same  vigour  and  conscientiousness  to  his  work  as  had 
made  him  so  successful  in  his  first  school.  His  experience 
as  teacher  had  developed  him  in  many  ways,  but  more 
particularly  had  wrought  in  him  a  self-confidence  and  a 
mastery  of  himself  and  others  that  led  him  to  take  a  po- 
sition of  influence  in  the  community.  He  is  still  remem- 
bered by  those  who  were  his  pupils  at  that  time,  for  the 
fearless  and  indomitable  spirit  which  distinguished  him 
above  others.  "  He  was  afraid  of  nothing/7  writes  one 
of  his  pupils,  "man,  beast  or  devil.  There  was  a  frac- 
tious colt  on  the  farm  where  he  boarded  which  none  of  us 
dared  to  handle.  Eobertson  mastered  him  and  rendered 
him  tractable."  The  same  spirit  that  made  him  wrestle 
all  night  long  with  the  Edinburgh  problem  and  after- 
wards with  that  of  the  oxen  and  the  grass  would  not  let 
him  rest  before  any  unconquered  difficulty.  "  Fre- 
quently, "  writes  the  same  pupil,  "  I  remember  when  there 
were  tougfy  gnarled  pieces  of  wood  lying  around  the  yard 
that  had  baffled  the  skill  and  prowess  of  others  to  make 
stove  wood  out  of  them,  he  would  go  at  them  with  that 
vim  and  vigour  which  later  became  so  characteristic  of 
the  man,  and  in  a  little  while  he  would  stand  victorious 
over  their  scattered  members.  What  seemed  to  others 

32 


HIS  FIRST  AND  ONLY  LOVE  33 

impossible,  that  was  the  thing  that  had  a  peculiar  charm 
for  him." 

He  had  his  own  opinions  and  was  not  to  be  moved  from 
them  without  reason  by  any  man  soever,  no  matter  how 
great  he  might  be.  His  minister  tells  us  that  at  a  Sun- 
day-school picnic  where  some  three  or  four  hundred  peo- 
ple were  assembled,  the  orators  of  the  day,  both  lay  and 
clerical,  had  been  emphasizing  the  importance  of  aiming 
high,  pointing  to  high  places  in  Church  and  State  which 
might  be  attained.  Not  a  bit  abashed  by  the  high  stand- 
ing or  the  eloquence  of  ministers  or  Members  of  Parlia- 
ment who  had  preceded  him,  the  young  teacher  of  Inner- 
kip,  in  the  rough  eloquence  of  common  sense,  proceeded 
to  demonstrate  the  impracticable  nature  of  much  of  the 
counsel  given.  "  You  cannot  all  attain  high  positions  ; 
there  are  not  enough  to  go  round.  You  cannot  all  be 
preachers  or  premiers,  but  you  can  all  do  thoroughly  and 
well  what  is  set  you  to  do,  and  so  fit  yourselves  for  some 
higher  duty,  and  thus  by  industry  and  fidelity  and  kind- 
ness you  can  fill  your  sphere  in  life  and  at  the  last  receive 
the  'well  done'  of  your  Lord." 

His  stay  in  Innerkip  was  marked  by  two  events  which 
determined  for  him  the  course  and  quality  of  his  after- 
life. It  was  at  this  time  that  he  finally  decided  upon  his 
life  calling.  From  his  childhood,  he  had  shared  with  his 
mother  the  hope  that  he  might  become  a  minister,  though, 
after  the  manner  of  their  race,  they  never  openly  to  each 
other  expressed  such  a  hope.  It  was  his  experience  in 
Chalmers  Church  as  teacher  and  superintendent  of  Sab- 
bath-school, and  as  missionary  to  the  Gaelic  Cape  Breton 
folk  settled  in  Woodstock,  that  quickened  his  desire  and 
strengthened  his  hope  into  a  firm  resolve  to  be  a  preacher 
of  the  Gospel.  This  aim  he  henceforth  kept  steadily  be- 
fore him,  and  to  its  accomplishment  he  bent  every  energy 
of  his  being. 


36         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

work  of  the  Session  commenced,  is  not  to  be  thought  of,  espe- 
cially when  one  is  alone  with  no  kindred  spirit  to  make  up  what 
is  really  needed  to  make  all  go  off  well. 

"  I  was  going  to  add,  and  I  may  just  as  well  do  it,  that  I 
hope  this  will  be  the  last  time  that  I  cannot  be  with  you  on  the 
return  of  this  day.  It  is  God's  mercy  that  we  cannot  see  so 
very  far  down  the  way.  This  is,  of  course,  hoping,  that  is  all 
we  can  do  for  the  future  except  active  preparation  in  the  pres- 
ent. It  will  be  soon  ten  years  since  I  made  your  acquaintance 
first.  You  know  I  loved  you  at  first  sight.  During  that  time 
considerable  changes  have  taken  place.  I  have  ceased  to  be 
the  Innerkip  teacher,  the  very  house  in  which  I  taught  has 
been  removed.  I  have  passed  through  my  grammar  school 
studies.  I  have  lived  in  Toronto  for  three  years  and  am  now 
spending  one  in  New  York,  and  still  I  think  my  first  impres- 
sion of  you  has  not  changed  except  in  one  way,  namely,  that 
it  is  deeper.  The  lines  that  appeared  then  drawn  on  the  sur- 
face, are  now  cut  deep  into  the  solid,  so  that  effacing  them 
would  be  destruction.  It  might  almost  appear  reckless  to 
choose  on  the  instigation  of  an  impulse,  but  never  have  I 
regretted  my  choice,  except  at  those  times  when  its  object 
appeared  to  be  beyond  my  reach.  Wherever  I  am,  I  can  look 
back  on  my  choice  and  now  turn  to  the  object  of  my  love  with 
a  warmth  of  feeling,  the  pleasure  of  which  can  be  experienced 
but  not  expressed.  Long  engagements  are  considered  an  evil. 
I  really  think  that,  generally  speaking,  they  are  so.  Long 
engagements  like  mine  are  not.  Could  I  be  free  I  would  not. 
Had  I  the  course  to  pursue  again  with  my  present  experience, 
I  would  act  in  that  respect  as  I  have  done.  My  engagement 
has  been  to  me  a  source  of  profit,  the  fountain  of  my  affections 
has  been  kept  open,  and  while  I  have  been  living  and  acting 
among  men,  my  heart  has  been  educated  as  well  as  my  intel- 
lect, and  this  I  consider  a  real  benefit.  Had  I  been  unen- 
gaged till  now,  I  think  I  would  stand  a  good  chance  of  being  a 
bachelor  for  life.  Study  is  fascinating  to  me.  But  now  things 
are  different  and  I  am  glad  of  it.  Of  course,  your  part  in  the 
matter  has  not  been  so  easy  as  mine.  You  had  to  wait,  while 
with  me  there  has  been  no  waiting.  When  you  consented  to 
take  me  you  consented  to  wait  these  long  years,  for  you  were 
ready  to  marry  then.  The  exciting  activity  of  work  you  lacked, 
and  your  part  was  harder  to  bear.  Work  may  not  appear 
easy,  yet  it  is  a  relief  when  you  are  called  upon  to  lend  a  hand 


HIS  FIKST  AND  ONLY  LOVE  37 

rather  than  stand  and  look  at  another  work.  I  had  the  work, 
you  the  looking  on,  waiting  till  I  was  done.  Your  part  appears 
the  more  difficult.  I  hope  for  your  sake  as  well  as  my  own 
that  this  waiting  will  soon  cease.  None  can  wish  this  more 
than  I. 

"  But  I  must  bid  you  good-night,  merely  asking  you  to  send 
one  photo  out  of  your  album.  I  could  have  given  a  good  deal 
to  have  had  it  to-day,  and  regretted  my  having  forgotten  it 
since  I  came.  Forget  me  not  as  you  are  not  forgotten. 

"  Yours  ever, 

"  JAMES." 

He  is  no  master  in  the  art  of  writing  love-letters  per- 
haps, but  lie  is  a  master  in  the  fine  art  of  loving,  and  in 
this  fine  art  his  heart  never  loses  its  skill  through  all  the 
after-years. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO 

FOE  three  years  Eobertson  taught  the  Innerkip 
school,  working  hard  meantime  in  private  study 
preparing  for  his  university  course,  and  giving 
full  service  besides  to  his  church  and  Sabbath-school. 
They  were  years  of  strenuous  toil,  but  toil  was  his  de- 
light, nor  did  the  days  ever  drag,  for  they  were  light- 
ened by  love.  In  1863,  he  matriculated  at  the  University 
of  Toronto,  but  of  his  university  career  little  is  known. 
While  not  a  brilliant  scholar,  he  took  a  good  general 
stand,  being  devoted  particularly  to  mathematics,  modern 
languages,  and  metaphysics.  But  while  he  won  little  dis- 
tinction in  the  class  lists,  he  laid  very  solid  foundation 
for  his  future  study  and  developed  in  a  marked  degree 
the  student  instinct  and  habit  which  kept  his  mind  fresh 
and  open  to  truth,  and  made  him  throughout  his  labo- 
rious life  keenly  alive  to  all  that  was  new  in  every  depart- 
ment of  knowledge. 

His  photograph  taken  during  his  college  course  shows 
him  a  full-bearded  man,  grave,  thoughtful,  mature  of 
face,  and  withal  somewhat  stern  and  rugged.  His  clothes 
were  not  of  the  most  fashionable  cut,  the  travelling 
tailor  at  home  despising  all  newfangled  notions,  and  his 
whole  appearance  was  such  as  to  expose  him  to  the  ridi- 
cule of  the  smart  and  " sporty"  set.  But,  as  a  fellow 
student,  who  afterwards  came  to  hold  him  in  high  regard, 
writes : 

"  Though  he  wore  his  trousers  at  high  water  mark,  and 
though  his  hats  were  wonderful  to  behold  and  his  manners 

38 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO          39 

abrupt  and  uncouth,  still  l  Jeemsie,'  as  he  was  dubbed  by 
the  irreverent,  commanded  the  respect  of  the  giddiest  of 
the  lot  for  his  fine  heart  and  for  his  power  of  pungent 
speech,  for  he  would  fire  words  at  you  like  a  cannon- 
ball.  And  for  the  ridicule  of  the  boys,  Jeemsie  cared  not 
a  tinker's  curse." 

He  kept  himself  aloof  from  much  of  the  college  life. 
His  earnest  purpose  and  thoughtful,  intense  nature  found 
little  congenial  in  the  college  societies  and  the  college 
sports  and  politics  of  the  day.  But  if  he  took  little 
interest  in  these  sides  of  the  university  life,  when  there 
was  anything  serious  afoot  Robertson  was  not  found 
wanting.  Hence,  when  at  the  close  of  the  American 
Civil  War,  rumours  began  to  run  of  invasion  of  Canada  by 
the  Fenians,  he  joined  the  University  Corps  of  the 
Queen's  Own  Rifles  and  gave  himself  diligently  to  drill, 
so  that  when  news  of  the  actual  raid  came  he  was  ready 
with  his  fellow  students  to  obey  his  country's  call  to 
arms.  The  following  extracts  from  letters  to  Miss  Cow- 
ing show  the  spirit  in  which  the  men  of  the  Queen's  Own 
Rifles  responded  to  the  call  and  incidentally  throw  light 
upon  the  extent  to  which  the  feeling  of  alarm  prevailed 
through  the  country.  The  letter  is  dated  from  Toronto 
University,  Feb.  21,  1866. 

"  We  were  all  called  in  by  Croft  and  Cherriman  the 
other  day  and  told  that  he,  Croft,  had  received  a  tele- 
gram from  headquarters  asking  him  to  have  all  his  men 
ready  to  be  called  out  at  a  moment's  notice,  the  Govern- 
ment having  received  definite  information  that  the 
Fenians  were  going  to  make  a  raid.  The  place  of  attack 
was  not  known  ;  it  was  suspected,  however,  to  be  one  of 
the  cities,  the  main  object  of  the  raid  being  to  obtain 
funds.  The  banks,  consequently,  were  to  be  specially 
guarded.  The  guards  throughout  the  city  were  doubled 
and  all  held  in  readiness.  We  of  the  University  Corps 


40         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

took  our  rifles  and  greatcoats  home  with  us  and  ten 
rounds  of  ammunition,  after  a  place  of  rendezvous  was 
named.  I  sincerely  hope  that  these  deluded  men  will 
not  engage  in  so  foolish  an  undertaking  as  the  invasion 
of  the  British  Provinces  since  they  must  expect  nothing 
else  than  to  be  shot  down  or  hanged.  But  fanaticism 
may  do  mischief  and  it  is  to  prevent  anything  of  the  evil 
results  that  arise  from  such  that  these  precautionary 
measures  are  adopted.  If  all  things  are  in  readiness  they 
cannot  do  nearly  the  amount  of  damage  that  might  other- 
wise be  effected.  Of  course,  incendiarism  and  everything 
of  that  kind  has  to  be  guarded  against.  The  banks  have 
lights  burning  through  the  whole  night,  men  guarding 
the  front  and  rear,  and  so  forth  and  so  forth." 

The  incident  of  the  Fenian  raid  is  well  known  to  all 
students  of  Canadian  history.  It  was  planned  in  folly, 
carried  on  in  a  spirit  of  bravado  and  ended  in  ruin  to 
those  who  were  responsible  for  it.  Robertson,  with  his 
fellow  members  of  the  University  Corps,  took  part  in  the 
unfortunate  skirmish  at  Ridgeway.  A  comrade  in  arms 
writes  as  follows : 

"In  May,  1866,  the  call  came  to  the  Canadian  Volun- 
teer Militia  to  put  into  practice  on  the  field  of  strife  what 
they  had  been  acquiring  so  steadily  during  the  past 
years.  With  the  Thirteenth  from  Hamilton,  the  Queen's 
Own  Rifles  appeared  on  that  bright,  beautiful  day  in 
June,  1866,  at  Ridgeway.  No  regiment  could  more 
gallantly  go  into  action  than  did  the  Queen's  Own 
Rifles  that  morning.  Our  company,  Number  Nine,  was 
ordered  to  the  right,  and  after  marching  through  a 
couple  of  fields  along  the  edge  of  a  wood,  we  turned 
eastward  through  the  fields  to  meet  the  invaders,  under 
whose  fire  we  had  .been  since  leaving  the  wood,  though 
by  order  no  reply  was  made  by  us. 

"We  advanced  in  the  wide-open,  skirmishing  order; 


Dr.    Robertson,  Member   of  the   Queen  s 
Own   Rifles,  Toronto   University 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO          41 

our  left  file  was  McKenzie  and  Robertson,  and  I,  rear 
rank,  stood  next  to  Robertson.  In  our  advance  we  took 
advantage  of  fences,  stumps,  stones,  and  so  forth.  When 
we  had  covered  about  two-thirds  of  the  distance  between 
the  edge  of  the  wood  referred  to  above  and  the  wood  in 
which  the  Fenians  were,  beside  a  fence  the  gallant 
McKenzie  yielded  up  his  life  for  his  native  country. 
So  did  young  Tempest  to  our  left  and  Milburn  to  our 
rear.  Thus  out  of  the  twenty-seven  men  of  the  University 
Corps  who  were  at  Ridgeway  that  morning,  three  were 
killed  and  five  wounded. 

1  i  The  following  day,  Sunday,  a  dull  misty  morning, 
we  set  out  again  from  Port  Colborne  and  marched  to 
Fort  Erie  under  the  command  of  Captain  Akers.  Ar- 
rived at  Fort  Erie  quite  late  in  the  afternoon,  we  pitched 
our  tents  on  the  heights  overlooking  the  Niagara  River, 
and  not  having  had  any  food  since  we  left  Port  Colborne, 
we  were  all  ready  to  plead  necessity  for  any  requisition 
we  might  make  upon  the  resources  of  the  farmers  of  the 
neighbourhood  for  food  or  fuel. 

"  Robertson  and  I  were  in  the  same  tent,  and  being 
both  well  accustomed  to  farm  life,  in  the  dusk  of  the 
evening  we  paid  a  short  visit  to  the  good  people  near 
at  hand,  returning  soon,  one  with  rails  to  cook  the 
simple  but  tasty  spoil  of  chicken,  etc.,  secured  by  the 
other. 

"  During  all  this  brief  but  eventful  campaign,  Private 
Robertson  was  strenuously  attentive  to  all  the  duties  of 
a  soldier  of  the  Queen  in  time  of  war.  He  and  I  have 
been  most  intimate  friends  ever  since." 

A  letter  from  Robertson,  dated  Stratford,  June  6th, 
throws  the  light  from  another  point  of  view  upon  the 
affair  at  Ridgeway : 

"  I  am,  as  you  see,  a  soldier  after  all,  and  have  endured, 
to  some  extent  at  least,  the  dangers  of  a  soldier's  life.  I 


42         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

scarcely  ever  expected  to  see  a  battler  much  less  take  part 
in  one,  although  I  have  been  called  upon  to  do  both  now. 
It  will  be  an  occasion  which  I  shall  ever  remember,  and 
that  for  more  reasons  than  one.  I  passed  through  all 
safe,  however,  and  now  how  thankful  I  should  be ; 
amidst  dangers  I  was  protected  and  by  God's  provi- 
dence I  am  yet  in  the  enjoyment  of  good  health  and 
buoyant  spirits. 

"I  see  by  your  letter  that  you  did  not  get  any  tidings 
at  all  of  the  battle  when  you  wrote.  I  suppose  when  you 
were  in  Woodstock  I  was  in  the  middle  of  the  fight, 
thinking  only  of  seeing  foes  and  dispatching  them. 
When  I  went  away  from  home  even,  little  did  I  think 
of  the  danger.  It  is  really  good  that  we  have  no  knowl- 
edge of  the  future.  If  we  had,  what  gloomy  thoughts, 
continual  fears,  what  a  depression  of  spirit !  When  I 
think  of  my  poor  comrade  McKenzie,  my  heart  is  turned 
at  once.  Just  before  we  reached  Port  Colborne  he  spoke 
to  me  and  said,  'Well,  who  would  ever  have  thought 
that  we  two  should  be  sitting  in  a  car  grasping  each  a 
rifle,  to  go  to  meet  an  enemy.'  I  feel  sure  that  he  had  a 
kind  of  foreboding  that  he  should  never  come  back  safe. 
I  tried  to  cheer  him  up  by  telling  him  to  banish  gloomy 
thoughts  from  his  mind.  When  fighting,  he  seemed  to 
have  the  same  fear  and  foreboding.  But  alas  !  poor 

fellow,  he  is  gone.  B came  up  with  the  body  and 

he  was  buried  in  Woodstock  with  military  honours.  There 
never  was  such  a  funeral  in  Woodstock.  All  the  stores 
were  closed  and  flags  at  half-mast.  All  seemed  to  do 
him  honour.  A  telegram  sent  up  at  my  request  reached 
there  in  time  to  be  read  at  the  grave.  I  am  really  sorry 
that  I  did  not  know  at  the  time  that  it  was  he  who  was 
shot,  but  I  was  in  such  a  position  that  I  could  not  see 
who  it  was. 

"  They  told  me  of  the  great  turn-out  in  Toronto  on  the 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO          43 

arrival  of  the  dead  and  wounded.  Stores  were  closed  and 
all  honour  paid  them.  The  people  of  Toronto  sent  the 
Queen's  Own  a  great  lot  of  stuff  to  Fort  Erie  and  we  en- 
joyed it  well,  I  can  assure  you.  Tardy  honour  is  now 
being  done  our  brave  little  company.  Every  body -is 
speaking  of  the  way  in  which  they  acquitted  themselves. 
I  cannot  regret  too  much  that  we  were  not  supported, 
for  then  things  might  have  been  different  from  what 
they  are,  but  it  cannot  be  helped  now.  The  artillery 
came  up  last  night  and  we  are  ready  for  any  place  to 
which  we  may  be  called.  The  rest  of  our  boys  are 
coming  up  from  Toronto.  Our  company  is  pretty  strong, 
growing  fast  and  in  good  spirits.  We  have  no  cowards 
with  us." 

The  raid  was  soon  over,  the  men  disbanded  and  dis- 
persed to  their  homes.  A  few  graves  and  a  quickened 
spirit  of  loyalty  were  the  general  results  of  the  short 
campaign.  The  country  learned  that  it  could  rely  in 
case  of  need  upon  its  young  men,  and  upon  none  more 
surely  than  upon  the  students  in  her  colleges. 

The  year  of  the  Fenian  raid  saw  the  close  of  Robert- 
son's  university  course.  He  left  college  without  win- 
ning distinction  in  the  way  of  medals  or  prizes,  but 
thoroughly  well-grounded  in  arts  and  with  his  mind 
well  disciplined,  especially  in  dialectics,  in  which  he 
took  peculiar  delight. 


VI 

AT  PRINCETON 


r  ""A  HE  work  being  done  in  Knox  College  at  this 
period  was  not  up  to  that  high  standard  de- 

JL  manded  by  the  ministry  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  there  was,  consequently,  considerable  dis- 
satisfaction among  the  students  attending.  Hence,  when 
the  College  opened  in  the  autumn  of  1866,  a  large  number 
of  Canadian  students  found  their  way  to  Princeton,  which, 
under  the  Hodges,  was  then  attracting  men  from  both 
continents.  Among  the  Canadian  students  was  James 
Eobertson,  who,  though  an  ardent  lover  of  his  country 
and  of  her  institutions,  was  determined  that  nothing  that 
he  could  prevent  should  stand  between  him  and  a 
thorough  equipment  for  the  life-work  he  had  chosen. 
He  had  striven  towards  this  goal  too  long  and  at  too 
great  sacrifice  to  be  checked  now  in  any  degree,  so  turn- 
ing his  back  upon  the  college  which  naturally  should 
have  been  his  alma  mater,  he  entered  the  seminary 
at  Princeton  as  a  student  in  theology  for  the  session 
1866-67. 

It  was  not  long  before  there  arose  among  the  Canadian 
students  at  Princeton  heart-searchings  as  to  their  duty  to 
their  own  Church  and  their  own  country,  when  their  days 
of  preparation  were  done.  The  following  letter  shows 
Robertson's  mind  on  two  questions  to  which  in  after  life 
he  was  forced  to  give  very  careful  consideration  ;  the 
questions,  namely,  of  the  relative  claims  of  Canada  and 
the  United  States  upon  Canadian  students  and  the  ques- 

44 


AT  PKINCETON  45 

tion  of  the  manning  of  our  colleges.  It  is  written  from 
Princeton  Seminary  under  date  of  the  12th  of  Jan.,  1867. 

* '  I  have  heard  nothing  from  Mr.  G nor  from  Mr. 

MacC .    Mr.  D tells  me  that  Paris  Presbytery  took 

up  and  discussed  the  matter  of  so  many  students  coming 
over  here.  There  was  no  definite  action  taken  upon  the 
subject.  It  would  be  a  good  thing  if  it  would  rouse  men 
to  think  of  what  is  needed  to  be  done  for  Knox  College. 

D says  there  are  only  thirty  men  attending  Knox  this 

year.  If  the  college  is  to  serve  the  purposes  of  the  Cana- 
dian Presbyterian  Church,  it  must  be  overturned  and  laid 
on  better  principles. "  The  young  man  is  somewhat  radi- 
cal in  his  remedies,  but  without  a  doubt  both  colleges  and 
churches  have  severely  suffered  from  lack  of  courage  to 
apply  just  such  remedies.  "  I  hope  they  may  start  a 
college  at  Montreal  and  get  some  men  from  Britain. 
Should  Canadians  come  over  here,  the  inducements  to 
stay  are  such  that  many  will  be  persuaded  to  do  so. 
Should  a  person  go  out  into  the  field  here,  there  are 
plenty  of  opportunities  to  get  places  and  the  chances  are 
much  better  than  in  Canada.  Men  who  have  nothing  to 
do  with  politics,  who  merely  look  to  do  good,  will  not 
think  much  about  being  under  a  different  flag.  The 
acquaintances  formed  would  soon  lead  them  to  forget  old 
prejudices  and  live  contented  here.  I  see  the  effects  al- 
ready on  our  own  men.  If  such  is  the  case  with  men  who 
are  here  but  one  year,  what  will  be  the  result  with  men 
who  may  take  three,  and  who  may  enter  relations  that 
make  it  an  inducement  to  stay  ?  Moreover,  when  a  per- 
son gives  himself  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  he  should 
not  arbitrarily  decide  where  he  is  to  go.  He  is  to  do  his 
Master's  work,  and  that  wherever  he  is  called  to  do  it. 
He  must  not  scruple  to  live  under  a  flag  different  from 
that  under  which  he  was  born  if  God  in  His  providence  so 
directs."  With  which  liberal  spirit  we  would  heartily 


46         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

agree,  but  it  is  iDteresting  to  observe  how  in  later  years 
when  looking  at  the  subject  from  another  point  of  view, 
Mr.  Robertson  saw  reason  to  modify  his  opinion  very 
considerably.  Meantime,  in  a  man  of  his  strong  national 
prejudices  and  deep  patriotic  feeling,  these  sentiments  do 
him  no  dishonour.  "  And  by  coming  here,"  he  pro- 
ceeds, "  and  being  brought  into  contact  with  the  work 
and  seeing  an  evident  need  of  his  services,  and  being  in  a 
true  sense  of  the  word  i  called,'  is  he  to  refuse  merely  be- 
cause he  happens  to  be  in  the  United  States?  Should 
such  be  the  spirit  of  Christians,  no  heathen  need  look  for 
a  ray  of  light  from  a  Christian  country."  The  logic  of 
this  can  hardly  ^  be  considered  faultless,  but  he  goes  on  : 
"  Is  not  the  principle  involved  in  this  the  very  one  that 
is  chief  among  the  reasons  for  having  a  Presbyterian  col- 
lege in  Montreal  ?  There  is  the  same  clashing  of  claims 
between  East  and  West  in  Canada,  only  here,  instead  of  the 
claims  being  those  of  rival  provinces,  they  are  those  of 
rival  countries.  These  boundary  lines,  however,  are 
political  and  not  spiritual.  They  divide  the  kingdoms  of 
this  world  and  not  that  of  Christ.  His  kingdom  ex- 
tends to  all.  No  man  can  justify  himself  in  making  a 
resolution  to  go  to  a  place  to  study  and  refuse  to 
stay  whatever  circumstances  may  arise.  He  would 
then  be  making  a  distinction  where  his  Master  had  made 
none." 

From  the  graver  subject  of  this  letter  he  turns  with 
that  love  of  humour  that  afterwards  marked  him  so 
strongly,  to  retail  two  stories  brought  in  by  one  of  his 
fellow  students. 

"  One  of  the  students  was  attending  a  negro  prayer- 
meeting.  The  leader  was  offering  up  prayer  and  in  so 
doing  offered  special  petitions  for  the  children,  praying 
that  they  might  be  '  filled  with  all  manner  of  concupis- 
cence/ Another  leader,  in  praying  for  a  young  lady  who 


AT  PRINCETON  47 

was  lying  ill,  petitioned  i  That  she  might  be  restored 
again  and  permitted  to  go  about  like  a  roaring  lion  seek- 
ing whom  he  might  devour.'  " 

Let  us  hope  that  mercifully  the  petitions  were  not 
granted. 

College  life  at  the  seminary  in  Princeton,  at  least  with 
the  Canadian  contingent  there,  was  an  earnest  business. 
These  men  had  left  their  homes  under  pressure  of  high 
purpose  and  at  no  small  cost.  They  were  called  upon  to 
incur  no  inconsiderable  financial  outlay,  to  sacrifice  per- 
sonal and  family  ties  as  well  as  national  sentiment. 
Hence  they  were  determined  to  make  the  most  of  the 
privileges  which  Princeton  had  to  offer  them.  The  fol- 
lowing extract  gives  us  a  glimpse  into  the  workshop  where 
they  were  being  hammered  and  fashioned  into  preachers 
of  the  Gospel. 

"  Our  class  preaching  commenced  Tuesday.  I  got  a 
sermon  in  to-day  for  criticism.  I  am  afraid  I  must  be 
severe  on  the  man  and  I  am  sorry,  for  he  is  a  good  fellow. 
I  must,  however,  injustice  to  him  and  to  myself,  tell  him 
what  I  think  of  it.  We  get  two  sermons  every  week, 
half  an  hour  long,  with  a  written  criticism  of  fifteen 
minutes  on  each.  The  exercise  is  good  for  the  mind." 
Good  for  the  mind  it  is  without  a  doubt,  and  would  there 
were  more  of  this  same  wholesome  exercise  in  the  making 
of  our  preachers  to-day  ! 

"  I  have  just  come  in  from  hearing  two  of  our  Canadian 

preachers,  Messrs  C and  F .  They  did  very  well 

indeed.  The  American  students  thought  a  good  deal  of 
them  too.  I  heard  one  of  them  say  that  he  never  heard 
anything  in  the  seminary  to  beat  it.  I  feel  very  sensitive 
for  the  honour  of  Canadians  here.  I  only  now  realize 
that,  in  sentiment  at  least,  I  am  a  Canadian."  A  Cana- 
dian !  That  he  is,  and  ever  growing  into  a  better.  His 
twelve  years  of  Canada  have  made  this  young  Scot  no 


48         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

less  a  Scotchman,  but  they  have  tinged  his  blood  with  a 
strong  Canadian  strain.  We  shall  come  across  this 
feeling  for  Canada's  honour  once  and  again  during  his 
life. 

In  another  letter  he  writes :  "  Thursday  night  came,  and 
though  an  excitable  character,  I  seemed  to  grow  more 
cool  and  collected  as  the  time  drew  near  for  me  to  preach. 
There  were  four  of  us  to  preach  ten-minute  sermons. 
I  came  third.  The  modus  operandi  is  as  follows.  One 
gets  up  and  preaches ;  the  professor  then  criticises  him  on 
his  manner  and  matter.  Of  course,  everything  is  taken 
notice  of,  a  word  mispronounced,  a  gesture  inappropriate 
or  awkward,  a  proposition  not  correctly  expressed,  any- 
thing, in  short,  that  is  not  just  as  it  should  be  is  corrected. 
Now  a  man  is  criticised  for  bad  pronunciation,  then  for 
want  of  proper  enunciation,  now  for  speaking  too  loud, 
then  for  having  a  nasal  twang.  It  is  rather  difficult  to 
steer  clear  of  all  the  shoals.  I  got  no  criticism,  only  that 
the  whole  was  very  clearly  stated  and  tersely  expressed, 
and  that  the  line  of  argument  was  clear  throughout.  I 
was  rather  excited  at  first,  but  soon  grew  confident. 
I  took  my  manuscript  with  me,  but  did  not  need  it  while 
I  was  speaking.  Every  eye  was  fixed  on  me  and  not  a 
move  was  made. "  That  is  easy  enough  to  believe.  We 
have  seen  something  of  this  fixed  and  motionless  attention, 
and  we  are  prepared  to  believe  it  true  even  of  that  most 
critical  of  all  critical  audiences,  and  in  those  crude  days. 
"  After  the  whole  was  over,  the  Canadian  students  and 
some  of  the  Americans  came  in  to  *  congratulate '  us,  as  they 
term  it.  There  seems  to  be  a  spirit  of  good-will  among  all 
the  students  towards  us,  but  the  Canadians  have  a  decided 
preference  for  each  other,  and  when  one  of  the  number 
preaches,  all  are  sure  to  be  there  and  feel  as  if  the  name 
and  honour  of  the  country  were  at  stake."  And  no  un- 
worthy sentiment  this,  for  these  young  exiles  to  cherish, 


AT  PRINCETON  49 

and  not  without  its  effect  upon  themselves  and  their  after- 
career. 

"It  appears  the  preaching  last  night  was  more  than 
usually  attractive,  and  there  is  a  good  deal  of  comment 
on  it  to-day.  One  of  the  students  of  the  second  year  was 
in  seeing  me.  He  told  me  that  if  I  sermonized  like  that 
to  any  congregation  they  would  not  appreciate  it  at  all, 
but  he  said  they  were  all  interested  in  it  at  once  from  the 
novelty  of  the  method  and  the  compactness  of  style."  A 
method  and  a  style  most  surely,  whose  novelty  and  com- 
pactness by  no  means  diminished  with  the  passing  years, 
as  many  congregations,  both  East  and  West,  can  attest. 
"Those  who  spoke  with  me  did  remarkably  well.  I 
could  judge  of  their  work,  of  course,  but  can  say  nothing 
of  my  own.  Junior  though  the  year  is,  and  few  in  num- 
ber, we  have  the  name  of  having  more  real  talent  than 
any  other  year,  by  admission  of  the  students  of  the  other 
years  themselves."  No  great  need  here  for  the  Scotch- 
man's prayer,  "Oh,  Lord,  gie  us  a  good  conceit  of  our- 
selves." The  pride  of  class,  however,  and  the  joy  of  the 
dawning  consciousness  of  strength  may  well  be  pardoned. 
All  loyal -hearted,  strong  men  have  it,  but  with  consistent 
modesty  as  here.  Moreover,  we  are  not  to  forget  that 
this  outpouring  of  the  soul  is  not  for  all,  but  for  the  one 
true  and  loving  heart  with  whom  he  shares  all  his  secret 
thoughts  and  emotions. 

Outside  the  class  room  this  same  eager  spirit  prevails. 
At  table  and  in  their  walks,  those  young  men  are  keen 
to  exercise  their  intellectual  muscles,  more  especially 
those  governing  their  dialectic  powers.  Nor  do  they 
shrink  from  high  themes,  themes  political,  themes  theo- 
logical, themes  ethical,  heaven  and  earth  furnishing 
them,  but  all  worthy  and  befitting  the  thing  they  would 
become.  For  instance :  "  The  other  Canadians  here  and 
myself  had  rather  a  keen  discussion  for  about  a  week.  I 


52         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Living  as  they  do  under  an  alien  flag,  these  young  men 
are  intensely  interested  in  the  doings  in  Canada,  and 
there  are  great  doings  there  at  this  time.  The  question 
of  temperance  is  appearing  in  the  political  world  and 
the  advocates  of  total  abstinence  and  prohibition  are  pro- 
posing legislation  thereupon.  A  long  campaign  is  before 
them.  Longer,  indeed,  than  their  most  prescient  leader 
can  forecast,  and  they  have  need  of  all  their  courage,  for 
against  them  as  yet  are  arrayed  a  distinguished  band  of 
economists  and  theologians,  not  to  speak  of  place-hunting 
politicians  and  drouthy  electors.  But  they  may  well  fight 
on.  The  stars  in  their  courses  are  with  them. 

But  overshadowing  all  other  Canadian  questions  is  that 
of  Confederation.  The  loosely-tied  bundle  of  Provinces 
are  about  to  be  welded  into  one  solid  State.  And  on 
these  matters  our  young  dialectic  student  has  opinions, 
nor  is  he  chary  of  setting  them  forth.  These  are  inter- 
esting enough  to  us  to-day,  viewed  in  the  light  of  history. 
We  look  in  upon  them  at  the  breakfast  table  one  morn- 
ing and  listen  to  their  talk. 

"It  is  Monday  morning.  I  rise,  split  up  some  old 
shingles,  fix  them  in  the  stove,  place  some  small  wood  on 
top,  and  by  applying  a  match,  have  the  whole  blazing  in 
a  short  time.  "While  the  fire  is  getting  a-going,  I  wash 
and  dress.  Pat  gets  up  and  does  the  same.  Then  I  sit 
down  to  read  Taylor's  *  Manual  of  History/  Break- 
fast is  announced  in  due  time.  We  all  assemble.  Mr. 
Sinclair  acts  as  general  distributor  of  provisions,  assisted 
on  the  left  by  Pat.  Mr.  McKay  acts  as  mother  for  us 
all,  carefully  pouring  out  the  coffee  and  supplying  the 
requisite  quantity  of  cream  (?)  and  sugar,  while  your 
humble  servant  acts  as  chaplain.  We  sup  our  porridge, 
and  then  partake  of  our  coffee  and  toast."  Frugal  fare, 
but  luxurious  in  comparison  with  that  of  other  men  from 
Dull  who,  carrying  on  their  back  a  bag  of  meal,  bore 


AT  PEINCETON  53 

that  which  was  to  be  their  main  support  in  the  ascent  of 
Parnassus  and  other  hills  of  intellectual  difficulty. 
"  For  the  first  few  minutes  nothing  is  said,  but  after  a 
little  Pat  inquires  : 

"'Is  there  anything  new  in  the  Globe  this  morn- 
ing V 

"  'Yes,'  says  McKay,  'it  contains  an  account  of  the 
dinner  given  by  John  A.  Cartier  was  there.  Cam- 
eron was  in  the  chair  and  they  had  a  jolly  time  of  it. 
These  are  the  really  great  men  of  Canada,  and  not  one  of 
them  said  a  word  about  Brown.  They  can  get  along 
without  him.  It  is  the  names  of  John  A.  and  Cartier 
which  will  be  remembered  in  the  history  of  our  country 
and  not  that  of  Brown.7  " 

Canadians  of  to-day  will  be  slow  to  accept  that  judg- 
ment as  final,  but  Mr.  McKay  must  be  allowed  his  say. 

"  '  They  spoke  also  of  reciprocity,  but  very  little. 
They  have  just  fooled  Brown  out.  They  have  returned 
from  Washington.  There  is  no  treaty,  and  so  Brown 
might  as  well  have  kept  in  the  Cabinet.7 

"  '  Yes,'  says  Eobertson,  'but  if  Brown  had  remained 
in  the  Cabinet  he  would  have  been  responsible  for  this 
abominable  conduct.' 

1  i  '  What  conduct  ? '  inquires  McKay  hotly. 

"  '  The  conduct  of  offering  the  terms  they  did  to  the 
Americans,'  says  Eobertson. 

"  'What  terms,  man?' 

"  '  The  terms  of  Derby's  recommendation.' 

"'What's  the  matter  with  the  recommendations?' 
says  McKay. 

"  '  The  matter  with  them  !  Why  the  whole  press  of 
Canada,  except  the  Free  Press,  condemned  the  terms.' 

"  'But  how  do  you  know  these  terms  were  offered ?  ' 

"'The  American  papers  say  so,'  replies  Eobertson, 
'  and  Gait's  friends  do  not  deny  it.' 


54         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"  *  That's  so,'  chimes  in  Pat,  i  every  one  knows  that 
Brown  has  been  the  means  of  preventing  the  too  humil- 
iating terms,  which  the  Government  would  have  given, 
from  being  offered.  He  has  been  far  more  useful  out  of 
the  Government  than  in  it.'  "  Which  all  will  acknowl- 
edge at  this  day  an  unquestionable  fact. 

"'But/  persists  Mac,  'he  had  no  influence  in  the 
Government,  and  that  is  why  he  left  it.' 

"  '  He  has  done  far  better  then,'  replies  Pat,  l  to  leave 
it,  if  he  could  do  more  out  than  in.' 

"'Oh,  pshaw!'  says  Mac  impatiently,  'these  men 
could  have  done  with  Brown  just  as  they  liked.' 

"  '  That  they  could  not,'  says  Robertson,  '  or  else  they 
would  have  kept  him  in  the  Cabinet  and  saved  the  howl 
that  was  raised  against  them.' 

"  '  Well,  he  has  not  the  ability  that  these  men  have,  at 
any  rate/  says  McKay. 

<  <  <  Why  not  ?  He  has  gained  influence  and  is  steadily 
gaining  influence  still.  He  has  won  over  the  majority  of 
the  Upper  Canadians  and  has  more  weight  in  Canada 
West  than  any  other  man  now.' 

"  'Why  then,'  retorts  McKay,  'why  then  does  John 
A.  carry  on  the  Government  ? ' 

'"Anyone  can  see  that,'  replies  Robertson,  'because 
he  sides  in  with  the  Lower  Canadians.'  " 

And  that  is  not  far  from  the  mark.  We  have,  even  in 
our  day,  known  somewhat  of  that  astuteness  of  the  prac- 
tical politician  that  knows  how  to  utilize  inharmonious 
elements  in  the  national  life  and  make  them  all  serve  in  turn. 

'"It  is  a  manifest  fact  that  John  A.  has  been  losing 
influence  in  Upper  Canada  for  the  last  fifteen  years  and 
it  was  through  Brown  that  his  Government  was  brought 
to  a  standstill.' 

"  'Then  how  is  it  that  John  A.  has  brought  on  this 
Confederation  ! ' 


Dr.   Robertson 
Student  at  Princeton  University 


AT  PRINCETON  55 

"'John  A.  !  Not  a  bit  of  it.  It  is  due  to  Brown's 
steady  influence,  for  never  would  John  A.  and  Cartier 
have  consented  to  anything  of  the  kind  till  Brown 
brought  them  to  a  dead  stand.  Brown  is  the  man,  after 
all,  we  have  to  thank.7  " 

So  it  would  appear  that  Brown,  the  object  of  much 
obloquy  in  that  day  and  afterwards,  had  even  then  not 
a  few  to  do  him  honour,  and  more  will  join  that  company 
as  Canadians  come  to  understand  their  history. 

'" That's  so!'  cries  Sinclair.  ' Everybody  knows 
that's  true,  and  so  does  Mac,  but  he  won't  acknowledge 
it.  He's  going  to  be  a  lawyer  himself  and  he  wants  to 
fish  a  little  for  office.  I  fear  he  will  be  as  venal  as  the 
rest  of  his  brethren.' 

"'That,  however,  would  be  better,'  continued  Sin- 
clair, '  than  trying  to  gain  a  little  notoriety  by  opposing 
Duukin's  bill.  Did  you  hear  about  that,  Eobertson  ? ' 

"'No,  I  did  not.' 

"  '  Well,  you  see  this  youth  here  had  nothing  better  to 
do  but  try  to  help  these  poor  drunkards  get  liquor  easier 
and  cheaper.  What  a  generous  youth  he  is ! 7 

"'Surely  he  was  not  guilty  of  that!'  exclaimed 
Eobertson. 

"'Yes,  that  he  was.7 

"  '  Well,'  explained  Mac,  '  I  was  opposed  to  the  bill  as 
it  stood.' 

"  '  Oh,  yes  ! '  said  Sinclair,  '  you  could  not  get  all  the 
good  done  your  noble  soul  desired,  and  so  you  must  do 
none  at  all.' 

"'Well,'  replied  Mac,  'that  bill  would  do  no  good 
anyway.' 

"  '  How  do  you  know  ?    You  did  not  give  it  a  trial.7 

"  'I  believe,'  says  Mac,  'that  if  liquor  was  cheaper 
and  if  there  were  none  of  these  restrictive  measures,  the 
people  would  be  much  more  sober  than  now.7  " 


56         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

An  argument,  by  the  way,  not  unknown  even  in  this 
advanced  day,  but  deserving  of  respect  more  for  its  hoary 
age  and  its  marvellous  tenacity  of  life,  than  for  any  in- 
herent value. 

"  But  Mac  continues,  *  Look  at  the  old  country  !  See 
how  much  they  have  to  pay  for  whiskey,  and  yet  they 
are  more  drunken  than  here.' 

"' Prove  that/  flashes  Robertson.  'And  even  sup- 
posing that  to  be  the  case,  you  cannot  institute  a  compar- 
ison between  any  two  countries  in  regard  to  these  things. 
The  one  thing  you  ought  to  do  is  to  compare  any  two 
towns  in  the  same  country.  Where  a  duty  of  thirty 
cents  a  gallon  was  placed  on  whiskey  in  Canada,  a  good 
deal  less  of  it  was  drunk,  as  appeared  in  the  reports,  and 
since  duty  was  put  on  in  the  States,  several  million  fewer 
gallons  were  drunk.  And  besides,  Mac,  you  are  just 
talking  nonsense,  for  you  are  saying,  "  Put  on  plenty  of 
duty  and  far  more  will  be  drunk ;  give  it  to  them  for 
nothing  and  they  will  not  have  it."  But  there's  the  bell. 
We  must  be  off.  We  have  the  old  chief  to-day  and  he 
will  be  in  on  the  minute.'  " 

And  so  we  may  leave  them  to  their  serious  work,  and 
more  serious  play.  They  will  bring  no  discredit  on  their 
country,  and,  please  God,  may  serve  her  well  ere  their 
day  is  done. 


VII 

A  CITY  MISSIONARY 

AT  the  close  of  his  first  session  at  Princeton,  Eob- 
ertson  returned  to  Canada  for  the  summer  and 
took  up  his  first  mission  field,  supplying  the 
stations  of  Thamesville,  Botany,  and  Indian  Lands.  His 
experience  at  his  first  service  was  prophetic  of  much  that 
was  to  meet  him  in  after-years. 

"  I  arose  Sabbath  morning  between  six  and  seven  and 
got  ready  for  my  drive  to  Indian  Lands,  nine  miles  away. 
After  breakfast  Mr.  Caven  got  the  buggy  and  we  set  off. 
It  had  rained  through  the  night,  but  was  fair  now.  Mr. 
Caven  drove  me  down  about  a  mile  and  got  one  of  his 
member's  sons  to  drive  me  the  rest  of  the  road,  as  he  had 
to  preach  himself  at  eleven.  The  roads  were  very  muddy 
and  full  of  water.  The  time  was  short,  we  had  a  good 
distance  to  go,  and  as  we  went  through  mud  and  water 
at  a  good  rate,  the  usual  result  followed — mud  flew  in  all 
directions,  covering  us  pretty  well  up.  Soon  we  came  to 
a  part  of  the  road  that  was  through  bush.  The  horse 
could  not  trot  for  water,  stumps  on  one  side,  quagmire  on 
the  other."  We  well  remember  those  same  swamp 
corduroy  roads,  common  enough  in  pioneer  days.  "  We 
scarcely  knew  which  was  better,  to  run  against  the  one  or 
plunge  into  the  other.  Judging  that  the  chances  lay  in 
favour  of  the  superior  resistance  of  the  stumps,  we  tried 
the  quagmire  and  succeeded  in  all  cases  in  getting  to  the 
other  side." 

This  is  the  beginning  of  a  habit  that  becomes  inveter- 
ate with  him.  He  has  the  saving  sense  of  humour  that 

57 


60         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

all  too  scanty  living,  but  few  were  possessed  at  once  of 
the  physical  vigour  and  the  concentrated  devotion  neces- 
sary to  make  the  work  truly  successful.  Robertson  pos- 
sessed both  in  the  highest  degree,  and  entered  upon  his 
work  in  the  slums  surrounding  the  Alexander  Mission 
with  that  tremendous  energy  which  distinguished  his 
every  activity. 

"  I  am  working  away,"  he  writes,  "  in  connection  with 
the  mission.  The  numbers  are  increasing.  I  hope  be- 
fore winter  is  over  that  we  can  command  a  good  attend- 
ance. The  people  pay  good  attention  and  are  very  quiet. 
I  am  visiting  a  good  deal,  but  have  not  got  yet  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  field.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  misery 
among  the  people.  Their  life  cannot  be  a  happy  one. 
How  many  of  them  live  we  can  scarcely  tell." 

The  terms  of  engagement  are  set  forth  in  true  American 
businesslike  style  in  the  following  document : 

"68  Wall  Street,  N.  K,  or  n  East  Ninth  Street, 

11  October  yth,  1868. 
"  To  MR.  JAMES  ROBERTSON. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  : 

"To  prevent  misunderstanding  between  us  as  to  the 
terms  of  your  engagement  by  the  Alexander  Mission  which 
commenced  October  ist,  I  now  write  as  to  the  same. 

"  i  st.  You  are  engaged  to  preach  every  Sabbath  evening 
and  to  conduct  the  weekly  Tuesday  evening  lecture  or  a  prayer- 
meeting  as  required ;  and  you  are  to  be  present  at  the  Tuesday 
evening  meetings  when  required  as  well  when  the  meeting  may 
be  a  lecture  as  when  it  may  be  a  prayer-meeting. 

"  2d.  You  are  to  be  present  at  the  teachers'  meetings  when 
held  and  assist  in  the  consideration  of  the  Sabbath-school  les- 
sons, and  conduct  the  meetings  if  required. 

"  3d.  You  are  to  hold  yourself  in  readiness  to  prepare  with 
the  school  managers  a  programme  for  making  the  Tuesday 
evening  meeting  or  any  of  the  meetings  interesting  and  profit- 
able. 

"4th.  You  are  to  visit  twelve  hours  per  week  upon  the 
families  connected  with  the  mission,  and  try  and  build  up  the 


A  CITY  MISSIONARY  61 

evening  meetings  by  including  a  greater  attendance  of  adults  if 
possible.  After  you  become  acquainted  with  the  field,  arrange- 
ments will  be  made  as  to  visiting  generally. 

"5th.  You  are  occasionally  during  each  month  to  attend 
the  Sabbath  afternoon  mission  meetings  and  make  pastoral 
visits,  and  make  the  acquaintance  of  the  older  scholars  con- 
nected with  the  school. 

"6th.  When  the  sewing  school  shall  be  in  session  during 
the  winter  you  are  to  look  in  upon  the  children  occasionally 
gathered  in  said  school. 

"  yth.  You  are  to  make  monthly  reports  of  the  mission,  di- 
rected to  the  treasurer,  H.  S.  Terbell,  and  hand  the  reports 
either  to  Mr.  Thomas  S.  Adams  or  to  me,  and  in  these  reports  you 
are  to  speak  of  the  work  generally,  also  of  any  cases  of  interest, 
number  of  visits  made,  the  attendance  upon  your  meetings  and 
of  any  other  matters  that  may  occur  as  naturally  to  be  reported 
upon. 

"  8th.  Any  cases  of  need  or  cases  requiring  attention  are  to 
be  reported  immediately. 

"  9th.  In  short,  you  are  to  hold  yourself  in  readiness  to  at- 
tend to  any  special  cases  and  to  care  for  the  interests  of  the 
mission  generally,  and  to  visit  with  any  teacher  desiring  your 
aid  in  visiting  upon  members  of  the  school. 

"  loth.  You  said  you  should  not  continue  with  us  if  you 
found  you  were  not  giving  satisfaction. 

"The  only  cause  of  dissatisfaction,  I  think,  could  be  your 
metaphysical  turn  of  mind.  The  people  require  plain,  earnest, 
practical,  illustrative  preaching,  and  if  you  can  satisfy  on  this 
point,  I  have  no  doubt  of  your  success. 

"  However,  as  it  is  in  a  measure  uncertain  as  yet  how  far  you 
may  succeed  in  adapting  your  preaching  to  the  people,  we  have 
thought  it  best  to  make  your  engagement  to  continue  so  long  as 
both  the  mission  managers  and  yourself  shall  be  mutually  satisfied 
with  each  other,  provided,  however,  that  in  any  event  (even  if 
we  were  satisfied  with  each  other)  your  term  of  service  or  en- 
gagement by  the  mission  shall  terminate  with  the  i8th  of  May, 
1869,  unless  renewed  for  a  further  term  by  mutual  agreement. 

"  nth.  For  your  services  to  be  rendered  as  above  you  are 
to  receive  forty  dollars  per  month,  and  to  make  out  your  ac- 
count therefor,  which,  when  approved  by  either  Mr.  Thos.  S. 
Adams,  or  myself,  will  be  paid  by  Mr.  H.  S.  Terbell,  treasurer, 
39  Walker  Street. 


62         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"  1 2th.  A  committee  of  the  Board  of  Management  will  from 
time  to  time  meet  with  you  to  talk  over  the  work  and  its 
needs,  etc. 

"  Hoping  your  connection  with  the  mission  will  be  greatly 
blessed  and  will  result  in  a  church  organization,  I  remain, 

"  Yours  very  respectfully, 

"  LEONARD  A.  BRADLEY, 

"  In  behalf  of  the  Board  of 
Managers  of  the  Alexander 
Mission,  King  Street. 

"  P.  S.     A  written  reply  to  the  above  is  requested. 

"L.  A.  B." 

Forty  dollars  a  month  !  In  all  his  life  he  had  never 
had  such  wealth  at  his  disposal !  But  will  any  one  say 
that  with  preaching  and  lecturing,  Sabbath-school  and 
sewing  meetings  and  prayer-meetings,  not  to  speak  of 
monthly  reports  and  i '  attendance  upon  any  teacher  de- 
siring aid  in  visiting  members  of  the  school,"  each  and 
every  dollar  of  the  forty  was  not  fully  earned  ? 

The  shrewd  and  businesslike  managers  of  the  Alexander 
Mission  seemed  to  hold  this  opinion,  for  before  three 
months  are  passed  they  are  determined  to  secure  the 
Canadian  missionary  for  their  own.  A  proposition  is 
made  to  him  of  which  he  writes  the  following  letter  from 
University  Place,  New  York,  under  date  Jan.  13,  1869  : 

"  Since  I  came  back  a  proposition  has  been  made  to  me 
about  the  mission,  namely,  as  to  whether  I  would  be 
willing  to  stay  on  here  permanently.  There  are  no  pre- 
liminaries arranged  at  all  about  the  matter,  but  granted 
that  an  adequate  salary,  say  fifteen  hundred  dollars  to 
start  with,  would  be  given,  should  I  consent  to  stay  ? 
They  say  they  have  been  for  years  looking  for  a  man  for 
the  work.  They  once  found  one,  but  he  proved  too  weak 
physically.  They  say  I  am  just  such  a  one  as  they  have 
wished  for.  I  have  the  bodily  strength  and  the  mental 
vigour  necessary.  Will  I  accept  ?  They  told  me  to  think 


A  CITY  MISSIONARY  63 

of  the  matter  till  spring  and  that  then  I  would  be  able  to 
tell  them  what  I  thought  of  it." 

And  for  the  following  weeks  this  business  was  the  oc- 
casion of  many  an  anxious  thought  and  the  theme  of 
many  a  letter  to  her  who  was  concerned  in  its  issue 
equally  with  himself.  He  is  very  frank  with  her  and 
does  not  shrink  from  discussing  the  matter  from  a 
domestic  point  of  view. 

"  If  I  stay  here  even  a  year  I  am  afraid  my  connection 
with  Canada  will  be  gone,  and  yet  I  don't  know  that  I 
ought  to  run  away  from  the  work.  One  thing  is  certain, 
I  would  not  like  to  commence  housekeeping  in  New 
York,  nor  especially  would  I  like  to  raise  a  family  here. 
That  may  be  looking  too  far  ahead,  but  I  think  I  must 
look  further  than  next  year." 

And  would  to  heaven  all  prospective  fathers  had  the 
grace  and  sense  to  look  ahead  more  than  a  year  !  But  he 
is  a  Scot  and  the  shrewd  Scotch  thrifty  head  on  him  takes 
note  of  another  aspect. 

"  Should  I  stay  here  merely  for  one  year  unmarried,  it 
would  be  better  for  me  financially  than  anything  I  could 
do  in  Canada,  for  I  should  be  some  six  or  seven  hundred 
dollars  in  pocket  a  year  from  next  spring,  with  which  to 
start  housekeeping.  I  have  no  opinion  on  the  subject  as 
yet ;  I  am  merely  looking  at  a  few  items." 

Canny  man  !  It  is  a  matter  of  life-issues,  yes,  and  of 
eternal  issues,  and  there  is  much  thought  and  prayer 
a- needing  before  it  be  finally  settled.  He  must  think  for 
more  than  himself,  too,  and  so  he  writes  as  in  every  letter 
for  advice. 

"  What  advice  can  you  give  me  on  the  subject  ?    This 

is  a  matter  which  touches  yourself  and  how  am  I  to  act  in 

reference  to  it  ?    Would  you  be  willing  to  wait  if  I  should 

stay  here  for  a  year  on  trial  and  then  go  back  to  Canada  ?  " 

Wait !    Ay,  that  she  would,  but  she  has  waited  ten 


64         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

years  and  he  can  hardly  bring  himself  to  feel  that  it  is 
right  to  make  her  wait  longer,  and  so  on  through  the 
following  weeks  he  discusses  with  himself  and  her. 
Meantime  the  work  grows  under  his  hand.  The  poor 
people  come  to  love  and  trust  him.  The  school  and  other 
departments  flourish  beyond  all  expectation.  The  at- 
tendance at  all  the  services  is  greater  than  ever  before. 
He  begins  to  feel  the  pull  of  the  work  upon  him  and  the 
question  thrusts  itself  in  upon  his  conscience,  Ought  he 
to  abandon  his  work  for  any  cause  ?  The  managers  and 
the  people  earnestly  press  him.  Dr.  Hall  adds  his  solici- 
tations. At  length  he  determines  to  bring  the  matter  to 
a  clear  understanding.  His  strong,  clear  sense  demands 
definiteness  in  the  proposition  before  he  can  accept  or  re- 
ject. He  has  a  consultation  with  the  managers,  the  re- 
sult of  which  he  thus  records  : 

"I  met  the  managers  of  the  Alexander  Mission  last 
evening  and  discussed  the  whole  question.  They  were 
ready  to  grant  everything  I  wanted.  The  points  that 
were  discussed  may  be  reduced  to  four. 

"  (1)  Organization.  They  have  had  preaching  for  the 
last  fifteen  years  but  never  organization.  Hence  those 
who  have  been  converted  through  the  instrumentality 
of  the  mission  have  been  obliged  to  connect  themselves 
with  other  churches,  This  has  all  along  been  a  hin- 
drance. When  the  question  of  organization  was  proposed 
they  would  not  hear  of  it.  They  were  for  the  work  con- 
tinuing as  in  previous  years.  I  refused  at  once  to  con- 
sider the  subject  at  all  without  this  first  condition.  After 
discussion  they  decided  that  they  would  organize  as  soon 
as  I  chose. 

* l  (2)  Church  building.  The  place  in  which  we  worship 
now  is  merely  a  place  fitted  up  by  knocking  two  double 
houses  into  one.  I  wanted  them  to  build  or  buy  a  church, 
and  give  us  a  good  place  to  meet  in  as  soon  as  possible. 


A  CITY  MISSIONARY  65 

This  they  promised  to  do  as  soon  as  the  work  would  grow 
a  little. 

"(3)  Am  I  the  man  for  the  place?  I  questioned  my 
fitness  for  the  work.  This  they  all  set  aside.  Dr.  Hall 
was  consulted  and  he  said,  *  Keep  him  if  you  can.7  The 
managers  themselves  heard  me  preach  and  their  opinion 
was  that  I  was  decidedly  the  best  they  had  had  in  fifteen 
years  ;  the  teachers,  the  people,  and  all  of  them  were 
unanimous  in  wishing  me  to  stay.  I  scarcely  knew  what 
to  do,  so  the  matter  rests  there  at  present. 

"  (4)  Salary.  The  church  promised  twelve  hundred 
dollars,  but  I  was  told  that  if  I  was  not  satisfied  the 
managers  would  add  more  to  it.  I  told  them  I  could  say 
nothing  till  I  had  looked  about  me  to  see  the  price  of 
living  and  so  forth.  I  was  given  time." 

As  we  read  over  these  four  points  of  his,  these  words 
ring  in  our  ears  with  a  strange  familiarity,  "  Organiza- 
tion, Visibility,  Fitness,  Finance.'7  How  often  do  these 
key  words  ring  from  him  in  after-years !  He  meets  his 
managers  again  and  gives  them  his  final  decision.  He 
cannot  stay  with  them.  To  this  decision  he  is  brought, 
not  by  personal  interests  nor  by  family  considerations 
alone,  influential  as  these  may  be.  It  is  his  country  that 
calls  him.  The  unmanned  fields  of  Canada,  the  little 
backwoods  settlements  demand  labourers.  True,  the 
congregations  are  small.  They  are  poor.  Growth 
will  be  slow.  The  sphere  will  always  be  limited,  offer- 
ing small  scope  for  his  powers,  of  which  he  is  beginning 
to  be  clearly  conscious,  but  it  is  his  own  country,  the 
country  of  his  kindred,  and  its  claims  cannot  be  un- 
heeded. 

Before  he  leaves  New  York,  he  is  approached  by 
another  congregation  and  offered  a  large  salary  to  re- 
main. Ambition  appeals  to  him.  His  fellow  students 
all  advise  him  to  stay.  His  friend  Eemick  writes  him, 


66         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"Stay,  Robertson,  and  you  will  become  the  pastor  of  a 
large  church  in  New  York.  You  have  the  ability  and 
you  only  need  it  brought  out  by  circumstances. " 
Dr.  Hall  urges  him  not  to  leave  New  York.  He  would 
be  sure  to  rise  much  quicker  there  than  he  could  possibly 
in  Canada  or  elsewhere.  The  following  letter  lets  us  into 
his  mind  : 

"  I  got  a  letter  to-day  from  Mr.  Mac .  He  urges  a 

great  need  of  men  in  Canada,  the  number  of  stations 
without  supplies,  the  number  of  congregations  without 
pastors.  In  this  respect  he  is  of  your  opinion,  although 
perhaps  on  different  grounds.  You  will  not  decide  in 
favour  of  any  particular  place.  You  will  not  even  allow 
yourself  to  think  of  a  place  as  yet,  but  all  unconsciously 
you  were  applying  your  argument  more  powerfully  than 
he.  You  were  willing  to  go  with  me  in  my  choice,  yet 
you  wished  to  be  near  your  parents,  and  you  were  sure 
they  would  not  move  away  with  you.  Your  parents 
would  think  it  very  hard  if  you  went  away  from  home 
to  some  different  country,  as  would,  no  doubt,  be  the 
case  with  my  father.  If  I  could  see  my  way  clear  other- 
wise, I  do  not  think  that  would  hinder  me,  nor  do  I 
think  it  would  you,  however  difficult  for  a  time." 

The  future  years  of  separation  and  of  mutual  denial 
of  self,  each  for  the  other  and  both  for  their  common 
Master,  offer  a  striking  and  pathetic  commentary  upon 
this  faith  of  his  in  her  he  had  chosen  for  companion. 
For,  during  all  the  long  years  that  followed,  so  large  a 
proportion  of  which  they  spent  apart  from  each  other, 
she  never  grudged  him  to  his  work,  though  often  the 
denial  of  love  was  bitter  enough  and  the  weight  of  re- 
sponsibility and  care  almost  more  than  could  be  borne. 
But  from  the  first,  they  were  clear  about  this  matter  of 
mutual  sacrifice,  so  he  continues  : 

"  We  are  no  longer  our  own  in  that  respect  now.     The 


A  CITY  MISSIONARY  67 

time  for  self  is  gone  with  us.  When  we  entered  this 
sphere  it  was  with  the  understanding  that  we  were  ready 
to  do  the  Master's  work  wherever  He  wished.  If  true  to 
Him,  this  we  must  still  do  or  else  bear  the  consequences 
of  going  at  our  own  charges.  It  would  be  a  fearful  thing 
to  think  of  in  our  future  course,  that  we  had  regarded 
self  and  selfish  considerations  and  not  our  Master's 
work.  If  His  work  did  not  prosper,  we  could  scarcely 
ever  forgive  ourselves.  But  I  acknowledge  to  you 
that  it  is  not  an  easy  matter  for  me  to  decide  what  to 
do." 

But  he  had  seen  his  way  and  it  lay  towards  Canada, 
and  once  having  seen  it,  nothing  could  turn  him  from  it. 
In  a  short  time  he  is  settled  in  a  small  charge  at  a 
quarter  of  the  salary  offered  by  the  big  New  York  con- 
gregation. "The  time  for  self  is  done."  That  was  the 
key-note  of  his  life  then  and  after,  as  all  men  can  testify 
who  knew  him  well.  His  long  and  arduous  struggle 
with  severe  poverty  and  untoward  circumstances  was  at 
an  end.  By  dint  of  unremitting  industry,  strong  resolve, 
unswerving  adherence  to  his  purpose,  he  has  arrived  at 
the  goal  he  had  set  before  him  years  before. 


VIII 

WIFE  AND  MANSE 

HAVING    decided   for   Canada,   Eobertson  was 
relieved  of  further  anxiety  as  to  a  sphere  of 
labour.     For  in  Western  Ontario  there  were 
not  a  few  fields,   such  as  they  were,  standing  vacant. 
There  remained,  however,  another  matter  of  the  first  im- 
portance demanding  due  and  earnest  consideration,  and 
that  was  his  marriage. 

The  following  letter  is  so  unusual  with  him  in  its  self- 
revelation,  so  full  of  tender  affection,  that  it  does  much 
to  quell  in  us  anything  of  impatience  with  the  deter- 
mined, almost  imperious  self-confidence,  of  this  young 
man  who  has  a  way  of  making  things  move  out  of  the 
path  before  him.  Hence  we  give  it  in  full,  with  the  ad- 
dress and  date,  No.  9  University  Place,  New  York,  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1869. 

"  Just  twelve  years  ago  to-day  I  left  home  to  endeavour 
to  do  something  for  myself.  How  brief  the  time  appears, 
and  yet  what  changes  since  !  Little  did  I  think  at  that 
time  that  I  should  be  spending  the  twelfth  anniversary  of 
that  day  in  New  York  City  in  the  last  year  of  my  theo- 
logical course.  Less  still,  that  I  should  be  writing  a 
letter  to  Miss  Cowing !  Well  I  know  and  feel  that  I  have 
not  had  the  shaping  of  my  own  life.  Goodness  and  mercy 
have  followed  me,  and  now  I  ought  to  raise  my  stone  of 
remembrance  to  Him  who  is  the  Author  of  all  my  bless- 
ings. When  I  left  home  then,  I  was  a  green  lad  without 

any  experience  of  the  world " 

68 


WIFE  AND  MANSE  69 

That  is  true  enough ;  no  need  to  tell  us  that,  James, 
with  your  "  high- water  trousers, "  your  unspeakable  hats 
and  your  clothes  so  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made,  the 
result  of  the  untutored  genius  of  the  travelling  tailor. 
Not  but  what  you  had  earned  money  enough  to  buy  you 
finer,  but  your  brothers  and  your  father  were  in  need  of 
it,  both  then  and  in  the  hard  college  years  afterwards. 
But  green  though  he  was,  he  had  his  deep  thoughts  and 
his  lofty  aims,  as  witness  : 

' '  I  had  some  aspirations  higher  than  those  of  a  school- 
teacher, but  how  they  were  to  be  realized  was  more  than 
I  knew.  The  first  two  years  of  my  course  were  rather 
dreary,  nothing  having  been  realized.  I  was  too  recently 
from  home  to  effect  much.  It  was  when  I  went  to  Inner- 
kip  that  I  became  fixed  in  opinions  and  began  to  draw 
out  the  faint  outlines  of  my  future  course.  Ten  years 
appeared  long  to  look  ahead.  When  once  my  resolve 
was  taken,  however,  I  was  committed  to  it  and  my  only 
aim  was  to  attain  my  goal." 

That  characteristic  of  his  that  came  to  stand  out  so 
clearly  seems  to  have  been  early  bred  in  his  bones.  Once 
committed  to  a  resolve,  there  is  no  more  shilly-shallying 
for  him,  but  straight  at  it  he  goes.  Now  he  turns  to  her, 
who  through  these  years  has  had  the  harder  part,  and 
speaks  thus  tenderly : 

"  With  the  whole  of  these  ten  years  you  are  familiar. 
You  have  known  all.  I  had  neither  ability  nor  inclina- 
tion to  conceal  anything  from  you.  My  troubles  you 
have  shared  and  lightened.  My  joys  you  have  doubled. 
Your  sympathy  has  ever  cheered  me  in  gloomy  hours,  and 
the  thought  of  you  has  often  served  as  a  guardian  angel 
in  the  hour  of  temptation. 

"These  ten  years  have  not  been  without  their  trials, 
light  though  they  may  seem  to  me  now,  but  if  they  have 
given  me  more  of  a  spirit  of  self-reliance,  if  they  have 


70         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

made  rue  more  practical,  if  they  have  acted  as  a  fire  to 
purge  away  considerable  dross,  I  am  content.  These 
difficulties,  however,  have  never  made  any  difference  be- 
tween us.  We  have  been  together  and  separated,  but  I 
hope  we  have  only  learned  to  love  each  other  the  more. 
Had  our  circumstances  been  different  we  might  not  have 
had  so  much  real  pleasure,  and  although  I  am  buoyant 
enough  in  spirit  to  hope  that  greater  pleasure  is  in  store 
for  us,  yet  I  must  say  that  if  the  future  has  in  its  bosom 
an  amount  equal  to  that  of  the  past  I  shall  not  quarrel 
with  it.  The  future  is,  of  course,  to  be  to  me  a  time  of 
trial ;  it  is  to  be  a  time  of  activity  as  well,  if  my  life  is 
spared,  and  as  in  all  the  past  I  have  had  your  sympathy 
and  support,  I  expect  it  still  in  the  future,  only  more  so, 
inasmuch  as  you  will  be  equally  interested  in  the  work 
with  me.  In  the  past  I  have  worked  alone  to  a  great  ex- 
tent. In  the  future  I  hope  to  be  in  partnership  where  I 
shall  have  a  right  to  expect  counsel  and  ad  vice. " 

And  nothing  in  the  man  during  this  period  of  his  life 
stands  out  more  honourably  than  this,  his  watchful  care 
that  there  should  come  no  gulf  between  the  student  with 
developing  powers  and  ever- widening  views  and  growing 
ambitions,  and  the  simple,  bright- eyed  country  lass  who 
had,  in  spite  of  herself,  given  him  her  heart's  love  years 
ago.  What  pains  he  takes  that  she  shall  know  all  about 
him,  not  only  the  more  external  happenings,  but  the 
inner  movements  of  his  life  as  well.  With  her  he  shares 
his  thoughts,  his  changing  opinions,  his  aims,  his  plans. 
He  guides  her  reading,  stimulates  her  intellect  by  sug- 
gesting topics  of  study,  so  that  when  he  comes  to  claim 
her  he  finds  her  fit  for  companionship  and  ready  to  share 
in  his  life-work. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  1869,  they  were  married. 
Never  had  man  a  wife  more  loyal,  more  faithful,  more 
steadfast  under  burdens,  more  ready  to  offer  herself  in 


WIFE  AND  MANSE  71 

sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  her  own  or  her  husband's  serv- 
ice. For  thirty-three  years  she  stood  beside  him,  sharing 
with  equal  readiness  his  sorrow  and  joy,  thus  joining  with 
him  in  his  great  ministry,  in  her  place  and  according  to 
her  ability,  without  faltering  and  without  complaining 
till  the  very  close,  assuming  after  a  few  brief  years  the 
whole  care  of  family  and  home  that  he  might  be  care- 
free for  his  wider  work.  Something  of  what  Canada 
owes  to  her  husband,  many  Canadians  will  ever  grate- 
fully acknowledge,  but  what  Canada  owes  to  this  silent, 
faithful,  courageous  woman,  no  one  will  ever  know. 

A  few  weeks  after  their  marriage,  on  the  18th  of  No- 
vember, 1869,  Mr.  Eobertson  was  ordained  and  inducted 
into  the  pastoral  charge  of  Norwich,  a  small  village  in 
the  southeast  of  Oxford  County,  in  the  Province  of  On- 
tario, where  they  settled  down  in  the  cozy  little  manse  to 
a  few  years  of  busy,  happy  life.  Writing  of  this  period 
Mrs.  Eobertson  says : 

"  We  set  up  our  first  housekeeping  at  Norwich  in  the 
manse,  a  pretty  white  cottage  in  a  garden.  We  had  plenty 
of  work  and  we  had  pleasures  too.  The  people  were  ex- 
ceedingly kind  and  the  years  passed  quickly.  Three  of 
our  five  children  were  born  during  these  years,  Tina  with 
her  charms  and  winning  ways,  the  pride  and  pet  of  the 
congregation,  then  Willie  and  Jamsie,  sturdy  little  fel- 
lows, fond  of  their  own  way." 

We  should  expect  just  that  of  Willie  and  Jamsie,  re- 
membering that  they  were  children,  and  knowing  some- 
thing of  the  father  they  had. 

There  was  nothing  to  distinguish  this  congregation 
from  scores  of  others  in  Western  Ontario.  There  were 
two  out-stations,  Southeast  Oxford  and  Windham,  at- 
tached to  Norwich,  and  these  three  constituted  a  charge 
somewhat  widely  scattered,  involving  long  drives  and 
very  considerable  exposure.  The  congregation  was  made 


72         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

up  for  the  most  part  of  small  farmers  who,  though  in 
much  easier  circumstances,  retained  in  their  ways  of 
thinking  and  living  much  of  the  primitive  simplicity  of 
the  early  pioneer  days.  But  though  the  congregation 
was  ordinary,  their  young  minister  was  by  no  means  so. 
His  very  first  sermon,  such  was  its  extraordinary  force 
and  vigour,  took  the  people  by  storm,  and  during  his  stay 
with  them  he  never  failed  to  grip  his  people  with  his 
preaching.  He  was  frequently  asked  to  exchange  pulpits 
with  neighbouring  ministers.  One  day  after  hearing 
him  preach,  the  minister  of  a  neighbouring  town,  him- 
self one  of  Canada's  most  distinguished  preachers  of  that 
day,  exclaimed  : 

"  There's  a  man  who  will  one  day  be  great,  likely  a 
professor  in  one  of  our  colleges." 

He  was  a  tremendous  worker.  He  planned  large 
things  and  such  were  his  great  physical  powers  that  he 
could  carry  through  his  plans  to  completion.  Difficulties 
could  not  daunt  him.  An  incident  is  related  by  his 
wife : 

"  Having  three  regular  stations  and  really  four  others, 
there  was  much  visiting  to  be  done  and  much  driving. 
We  provided  ourselves  with  a  horse  and  named  him 
1  Derby.'  He  was  a  fine  animal  and  did  us  good  service. 
He  was  well  fed  and  well  treated,  but  he  must  not  let  the 
grass  grow  under  his  feet  if  his  master  was  behind  him.  If 
the  driver  lost  his  way,  for  then  he  was  fond  of  exploration 
as  in  after  years,  he  need  only  to  loosen  the  reins  and 
Derby  would  bring  him  safely  home,  whatever  the  state 
of  the  roads  or  however  dark  the  night.  On  one  occasion 
only,  if  I  remember  rightly,  did  he  refuse  to  do  his 
master's  bidding.  It  was  the  time  of  the  spring  freshets. 
The  pastor  was  to  speak  at  an  important  meeting  some 
eight  miles  distant.  Other  speakers  were  to  be  there  too. 
He  got  about  half-way  when  the  road  was  blocked  by 


Dr.   Robertson 
Minister  at  Norwich 


WIFE  AND  MANSE  73 

running  water,  ice  and  logs.  Derby  positively  refused 
to  go  through.  Turning  to  the  nearest  farmhouse  he 
left  there  his  wife  and  horse,  but  he  went  to  the  meeting. 
Taking  off  his  boots  and  stockings,  he  rolled  up  his 
trousers,  waded  through  the  stream  and  reached  the 
place  in  time  to  make  his  speech,  the  speech  of  the  even- 
ing it  turned  out,  none  of  the  other  speakers  being  able 
to  get  there.  He  afterwards  said  that  he  found  little  in- 
convenience in  the  crossing,  except  that  his  bare  feet 
occasionally  stuck  to  the  ice." 

"On  another  occasion,"  writes  a  parishioner  of  his, 
"our  minister  was  to  dispense  communion  in  his  East 
Oxford  charge,  and  a  brother  minister  from  Woodstock 
was  to  preach  for  him  in  Norwich  and  Windham,  or 
Bookton,  as  it  came  to  be  called.  By  some  misunder- 
standing,' the  Woodstock  man  came  on  the  Sabbath 
morning  to  East  Oxford  instead  of  to  Norwich. 
Mr.  Eobertson  had  driven  out  from  Norwich,  a  distance 
of  some  nine  miles,  and  scarcely  got  his  horse  unhitched 
when,  to  his  astonishment,  the  Woodstock  man  drove  up. 
Mr.  Eobertson  immediately  hitched  up  his  own  horse 
again,  and  rushing  his  Woodstock  friend  into  the  buggy, 
gave  him  the  whip  and  reins  and  said, 

"  '  Drive  on,  and  be  sure  you  don't  spare  the  horse. 
He'll  carry  you  through.' 

"  And  as  the  Minister  drove  down  the  road  at  a  furious 
pace,  Mr.  Eobertson  continued  to  call  after  him,  '  Don't 
spare  the  horse,  he'll  carry  you  through.'  " 

Mr.  Eobertson  was  more  than  a  mere  minister  to  his 
congregation.  He  was  a  man  with  the  best  of  them.  It 
is  related  how  on  a  Sabbath  evening  after  he  had  begun 
his  service,  the  fire-bell  rang.  At  once  Mr.  Eobertson 
dismissed  the  congregation,  for  fire  protection  there  was 
none,  unless  such  as  could  be  provided  by  the  bucket 
brigade.  It  was  discovered  that  a  neighbouring  hotel 


74:         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

was  on  fire.  Immediately  the  minister  took  command 
of  the  situation,  organized  the  crowd,  and  by  dint  of  the 
most  strenuous  exertions  had  the  fire  suppressed.  In 
gratitude  for  his  services,  and  in  sympathy  with  his  ex- 
hausted condition,  the  hotel  keeper  brought  him  a  bottle 
of  brandy  with  which  to  refresh  himself. 

"Never  will  I  forget/'  writes  another  member  of  his 
congregation,  "the  manner  in  which  he  seized  that 
brandy  bottle  by  the  neck,  swung  it  round  his  head  and 
dashed  it  against  the  brick  wall,  exclaiming,  as  he  did 
so,  '  That's  a  fire  that  can  never  be  put  out.'  " 

He  had  done  more  work  than  any  two  men  at  the  fire, 
and  was  in  consequence  more  in*need  of  refreshment  than 
any  other,  but  he  had  a  perfect  hatred  of  drink  and  drink- 
ing habits. 

Mr.  Robertson  was  more  than  minister  to  his  people  ; 
he  was  friend,  counsellor,  arbiter  as  well.  They  came  to 
him  not  only  with  their  spiritual  difficulties,  but  also  with 
their  family  troubles  and  business  differences. 

"Two  of  his  congregation  were  in  partnership  for 
some  time,"  writes  one  of  his  members.  "They  were 
both  church  workers,  but  when  the  time  of  the  partner- 
ship expired  there  was  some  trouble  in  winding  up  their 
affairs.  One  day  when  Mr.  Robertson  was  entering  the 
office,  he  met  one  of  them  coming  out,  bade  him  good- 
morning,  and  receiving  a  very  brief  reply,  said  to  the 
other  partner,  l  Mr.  W seems  to  be  in  a  hurry.7 

"  '  Yes,'  replied  the  partner,  l  we  have  been  trying  to 
settle  up  our  affairs,  but  we  are  having  some  trouble.7 

"ll  am  sorry  to  hear  that/  says  Mr.  Robertson,  'it 
will  never  do.  If  I  can  do  anything  to  help  you  I  shall 
only  be  too  glad.7 

"The  men  agreed  to  have  Mr.  Robertson  act  the  part 
of  arbitrator  and  soon  both  were  satisfied." 

The  five  years  of  their  stay  in  Norwich  were  to  the 


WIFE  AND  MANSE  75 

Bobertsons  years  of  hard  but  happy  toil  in  the  congrega- 
tion, and  of  quiet  domestic  joy  in  their  home.  To  these 
years  how  often  in  the  midst  of  loneliness  and  separation 
for  them  both  did  they  look  back  with  wistful  yearning. 
For  never  were  they  to  know  again  the  full  peace  and 
content  and  joy  of  unbroken  family  life.  This  their  cross 
was  laid  upon  them,  and  without  murmur  they  took  it 
up  and  carried  it  to  the  end. 


IX 

THE  ROBERTSON  LAND 

AT  the  head  of  the  great  waterway  that  reaches 
from  the  Atlantic  westward  into  the  heart  of 
Canada,  stands  Fort  William,  once  the  point  of 
departure  for  the  far  West  and  the  far  North  by  the  great 
fur  brigades  in  the  brave  days  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany's regime.  At  Fort  William  there  used  to  gather 
for  annual  council  those  fur-trading  lords  of  forest  and 
river  whose  fame  has  floated  down  to  us  through  a  hun- 
dred years.  It  is  at  this  point  that  Western  Canada 
proper  begins,  that  Canada  whose  discovery  as  a  field  for 
settlement  made  a  Dominion  of  Canada  an  assured  reality 
and  a  Canadian  nation  a  possibility.  From  that  ancient 
trading  post  west  for  four  hundred  miles  stretched  a 
waste  of  rock  and  water,  impassable  at  that  time  except 
by  canoe  brigade  in  summer  and  dog-train  in  winter. 
And  a  forbidding  barrier  that  same  rocky  waste  has 
proved  through  all  these  years.  Beyond  this  rocky  bar- 
rier lies  the  prairie  country,  then  one  vast  empty,  bound- 
less plain,  offering  in  those  old  days  a  home  to  the  red 
man,  the  buffalo  and  all  wild  things,  a  stamping  ground 
to  the  fur  trader  and  in  later  years  a  precarious  dwelling 
to  the  remote  and  infrequent  settler.  For  a  thousand 
miles  the  prairie  land  stretches  and  rolls  till  it  brings  up 
against  the  bases  of  the  mighty  Eockies. 

Far  away  to  the  West,  between  the  Eocky  Mountains 
and  the  Pacific  Ocean,  lies  the  most  Western  colony  in 
British  North  America,  British  Columbia,  consisting  of 
a  series  of  mountain  ranges  and  intervening  valleys  heavy 

76 


THE  ROBERTSON  LAND  77 

with  forests  and  cut  deep  by  rapid  rivers.  Until  recent 
years  this  Pacific  coast,  to  most  men,  was  the  limit  of 
Canada's  territory,  but  the  time  came  when  far  to  the 
North,  fifteen  hundred  miles  away,  a  new  land  was  found, 
and  into  the  Yukon  country  men  thronged  and  crushed 
in  their  struggle  for  gold. 

Before  the  year  1870,  when  Canada  took  over  from  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  the  administration  of  the  West, 
all  that  vast  territory  that  lay  beyond  the  Great  Lakes 
and  swept  up  the  coast  line  to  the  far  North,  was  to  all 
but  the  fur  trader  and  the  adventurous  explorer,  a  tellus 
ignotum.  No  living  man  dreamed,  not  even  the  most  far- 
seeing  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  factors  who  knew  the  country 
best,  that  the  day  would  come  when  down  that  same 
Kaministiquia  River,  where  there  floated  back  the 
rythmic  chant  of  the  voyageurs  who  had  gone  swaying 
round  the  bend  in  their  canoes,  there  should  come  the 
hoarse  roar  of  three  transcontinental  railways.  A  few 
men  of  prophetic  soul  had  a  vision  that  in  some  favoured 
spots  men  might  make  homes  in  security  and  in  comfort ; 
but  the  vast  majority  of  Canadians  and,  of  course,  all 
others,  regarded  the  great  West  as  an  extremely  doubtful 
asset  to  the  Dominion.  And  the  tales  that  came  of  ter- 
rible Arctic  winters  which  few  men  could  support  and  of 
vast  barren  spaces  where  no  man  could  dwell,  made 
people  content  to  abide  where  they  were  safe,  if  somewhat 
cramped  in  opportunity  to  live. 

But  the  year  1870  changed  all  this.  That  was  the  year 
of  that  very  needless  and  very  unhappy  little  rebellion  in 
which  men  of  solid  sense  and  worth,  exasperated  beyond 
endurance  by  the  chafing  of  stupid  misgovernment  upon 
their  own  inflamed  prejudices,  allowed  themselves  to  be 
led  by  the  nose  by  a  shallow-pated  Frenchman,  vain  and 
none  too  courageous,  who,  after  bringing  brave  men  into 
difficulty  and  danger,  fled  to  safety,  careless  of  their  fate, 


78         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

to  return  at  a  later  day  to  perpetrate  an  even  more  foolish, 
base  and  cowardly  outrage  upon  those  who  trusted  him 
and  upon  an  all  too  lenient  government.  The  rebellion 
concentrated  the  eyes  of  Canada,  and  to  a  certain  extent 
of  Great  Britain,  upon  the  West.  The  troops  returning 
from  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion,  the  officers  who 
commanded  them,  the  politicians  and  the  shrewd  business 
men  who  followed  in  their  wake,  all  came  back  enthusi- 
astic immigration  agents.  Then  there  began  that  suc- 
cession of  tidal  waves  of  immigration  which  has  continued 
to  flood  the  Western  country  with  men  hungry  for  land, 
from  that  day  to  this. 

In  the  far  North,  too,  in  late  years,  it  has  been  found 
that  men  can  dwell  in  comfort ;  that  not  only  adventurous 
miners  taking  their  lives  in  their  hands,  but  men  of  less 
heroic  mould,  can  make  homes,  if  not  fortunes,  in  the 
great  valleys  that  lie  between  those  mountain  ranges  with 
their  eternal  snows. 

This  vast  country  which,  reaching  from  Fort  William 
across  prairies  and  mountains  to  Victoria  and  up  along 
the  rugged  and  indented  coast  line  from  Victoria  to 
Skagway  and  far  into  Dawson  City,  this  great  West 
which  gave  the  Dominion  a  new  basis  and  a  new  hope 
for  empire,  this  is  the  Eobertson  land  ;  the  Eobertson 
land  because  it  was  the  scene  of  his  labours,  the  arena 
upon  which,  during  twenty-five  years,  he  made  proof  of 
his  powers  of  administration,  and,  more  than  all,  the  Eob- 
ertson land  because  it  bears  to-day  the  mark  of  James 
Eobertson' s  hand  more  than  that  of  any  other  one  man's, 
and  that  mark  is  cut  deep  into  the  heart  and  conscience, 
into  the  very  life,  of  the  Western  people.  For  not  only 
was  he  more  than  any  other  the  maker  of  a  great  Church 
in  this  land,  but,  as  we  shall  see,  his  hand  was  felt  in  the 
tracing  of  those  other  structural  lines  that  enter  into  the 
building  of  a  nation. 


PIONEER  PRESBYTERIANS  IN  THE  WEST 

THE  religious  history  of  Western  Canada  reflects 
little  glory  upon  Canadian  Presbyterianism  in 
the  early  decades  of  that  history.  Indeed,  not 
to  any  Church  in  Canada,  but  to  those  of  the  motherland, 
is  largely  due  the  credit  for  the  earliest  efforts  in  evangel- 
izing the  native  races  of  the  Western  half  of  British 
America,  as  well  as  for  the  care  of  the  religious  life  of  the 
early  settlements.  The  great  Eoman  Catholic  mission- 
aries were  men  from  the  home  land,  sent  forth  and  sup- 
ported by  the  various  religious  orders  of  France.  The 
missions  of  the  Anglican  Church  were  to  a  large  extent 
and  to  a  comparatively  late  day,  manned  and  supported 
almost  entirely  by  the  great  missionary  societies  of  Eng- 
land. Early  missions  conducted  by  the  Methodist  Church 
were  carried  on  by  men  sent  out  by  the  Wesleyan  body 
of  England  to  the  Indian  races  and  to  the  white  settlers. 
So,  too,  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Canada  was  slow  to 
enter  in  and  possess  the  great  land  that  lay  beyond  the 
Lakes.  It  is  not  hard  to  account  for  this  indifference  of 
the  Churches  in  Eastern  Canada  to  the  West.  These 
Churches  were  divided  into  factions  and  were  absorbed  in 
the  struggle  for  their  own  existence ;  the  settlements  in  the 
West  were  few,  unknown,  and  insignificant. 

Before  1870  the  land,  as  we  have  seen,  was  practi- 
cally unknown  to  all  except  the  fur  trader  and  the  ex- 
plorer. Along  the  waterways  that  led  from  Fort  William 
to  the  Bed  Eiver,  were  only  the  fur-trading  posts  with 
their  dependent  groups  of  natives,  half-breeds  and  whites. 

79 


80         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Here,  but  for  the  occasional  ministrations  of  a  Roman 
priest  or  Anglican  missionary  en  voyage,  there  was  noth- 
ing to  suggest  religion  in  any  of  its  forms. 

Far  away,  on  the  Western  Pacific  coast,  in  the  few 
small  settlements  that  were  to  be  found  on  Vancouver 
Island,  on  the  mainland  coast  and  along  the  rivers,  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Canada  had  not  a  single  mis- 
sionary until  the  year  1862,  when  the  Canada  Presbyterian 
Church  sent  out  the  Rev.  Robert  Jamieson  as  their  first 
missionary  to  British  Columbia.  On  arriving  at  Victoria 
he  was  surprised  to  find  that  post  occupied  by  the 
Rev.  John  Hall,  who  had  been  sent  out  the  year  before 
by  the  Irish  Presbyterian  Church.  Jamieson  went  to 
New  Westminster,  then  the  capital  of  the  province,  and 
there  for  twenty-two  years  he  rendered  splendid  service 
to  the  Church  and  the  cause  of  religion  in  British 
Columbia.  Two  other  men  from  the  Canada  Presbyterian 
Church  joined  him,  Duff  in  1864  and  Aitken  in  1869. 
It  is,  however,  to  the  Church  of  Scotland  that  the  chief 
credit  is  due  for  the  early  prosecution  of  Presbyterian 
missions  in  British  Columbia.  Up  to  the  year  1887  work 
was  carried  on  by  that  Church  at  some  nine  or  ten  points 
upon  both  island  and  mainland  by  such  men  as  Mmmo, 
Somerville,  and  McGregor.  Indeed,  the  first  Presbytery 
of  British  Columbia  was  one  formed  in  connection  with 
the  Church  of  Scotland.  In  1887,  that  Church  withdrew, 
handing  over  all  its  work  to  the  Canada  Presbyterian 
Church.  But  its  interest  in  Western  Canada  has  not 
ceased,  as  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  many  of  the  lead- 
ing congregations  of  that  body  in  Scotland,  in  1894,  re- 
sponded to  the  appeal  of  the  Canadian  Church  and  under- 
took the  support  of  missions  of  their  own  in  British 
Columbia.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  among  those 
so  contributing  was  the  congregation  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Somerville,  who,  twenty  years  before,  was  one  of  those 


PIONEER  PRESBYTERIANS  81 

early  missionaries  from  the  Church  of  Scotland  to  British 
Columbia. 

In  1872,  the  Pacific  Province  had  begun  to  loom  some- 
what more  distinctly  above  the  horizon  of  the  Canadian 
Church,  for  at  that  date  the  mission  was  transferred  from 
the  Foreign  to  the  Home  Mission  Committee.  But  the 
field  was  far  away,  little  known  and  difficult  of  access, 
and  the  work  was  not  pushed  with  any  degree  of  vigour 
and  enthusiasm.  In  the  coast  towns  the  congregations 
grew  with  the  growth  of  population.  But  far  up  in  the 
interior  were  mining  and  ranching  communities  almost 
entirely  neglected  by  the  Presbyterian  as  by  the  other 
Churches.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  men  min- 
gling with  the  native  races  descended  to  the  level  and 
often  below  the  level  of  those  pagan  people,  and,  for- 
gotten by  their  Church,  themselves  forgot  their  fathers' 
religion  and  their  fathers7  God.  Certain  it  is  that 
many  years  after,  their  sons  were  discovered  grown  to 
young  manhood,  who  had  never  heard,  except  in  oaths, 
the  name  of  Jesus,  and  knew  nothing  of  the  story  of 
man's  redemption. 

As  the  Presbyterian  Churches  both  in  Scotland  and  in 
Eastern  Canada  can  claim  little  glory  in  connection  with 
the  planting  and  nurturing  of  religion  in  the  Pacific 
Province,  so  also  the  early  religious  history  of  the  vast 
provinces  lying  between  British  Columbia  on  the  west 
and  that  rocky  barrier  by  the  Great  Lakes  on  the  east, 
reflects  little  credit  upon  these  Churches.  But  while 
these  Churches  failed  in  their  duty  to  their  co-religionists 
in  these  distant  settlements,  there  remains  in  the  story 
of  that  settlement  of  Scottish  people  on  the  banks  of  the 
Red  River  of  the  North,  an  example  of  loyal  fidelity  to 
Church  and  to  conscience  under  specially  trying  cir- 
cumstances, not  often  paralleled  in  the  history  of  our 
Church. 


82         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

The  story  of  the  Selkirk  settlers  has  often  been  told. 
There  are  those  to  whom  it  is  not  a  tale  of  unmixed  hero- 
ism. But  it  is  a  tale  of  which  no  people  need  be  ashamed. 
From  the  Highlands  of  Scotland  they  came  in  various 
detachments  between  the  years  1812  and  1815  under  the 
auspices  of  Lord  Selkirk,  and  settled  in  the  tract  of  land 
secured  for  them  by  purchase  from  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  that  lay  in  the  valley  of  the  Red  River, 
reaching  southward  from  the  fort  that  stood  at  the 
junction  of  the  Red  and  the  Assiniboine.  They  were  a 
very  small  company,  in  all  under  three  hundred  souls, 
and  never  at  any  one  time  many  more  than  half  that 
number.  But  they  clung  to  the  banks  of  the  Red  River, 
and  though  harried  by  a  hostile  fur-trading  company 
and  driven  off  once  and  again  from  their  homes,  they  re- 
turned to  their  place,  exhibiting,  during  those  first 
terrible  years  of  the  existence  of  the  colony,  a  patience 
and  an  endurance  and  a  courage  that  few  would  fail  to 
call  heroic.  But  none  will  be  found  to  refuse  the  claim 
to  heroism  to  those  who,  through  all  trials  and  dis- 
couragements in  unceasing  struggle  with  the  rigours  of 
climate  and  stubbornness  of  soil,  their  lands  devastated 
by  fire  and  flood,  their  homes  swept  by  plague,  main- 
tained their  faith  in  God  and  held  to  their  Church  with 
a  tenacity  and  loyalty  that  could  not  be  shaken.  It 
had  been  one  of  the  conditions  attached  by  Lord  Selkirk 
to  the  founding  of  his  colony,  that  with  the  Scotch 
emigrants  should  be  sent  a  minister  of  their  own  Church. 
For  a  variety  of  reasons,  some  less  creditable  than  others 
to  those  concerned  with  the  administration  of  the 
colony's  affairs,  this  promise  of  Lord  Selkirk's  was 
never  kept.  Again  and  again,  in  one  form  and  then  in 
another,  petition  was  made  to  the  representatives  of 
Lord  Selkirk,  to  the  noble  earl  himself,  to  the  honour- 
able the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  to  the  Church  of  Scot- 


PIONEER  PRESBYTERIANS  83 

land,  but  without  result.  True,  for  some  three  years 
after  the  colony  was  founded,  a  worthy  elder  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland  with  special  ordination,  Mr.  James 
Sutherland,  ministered  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the 
settlers.  But  by  the  machinations  of  the  Northwest 
Company,  he  was  removed  to  Eastern  Canada.  Thus  for 
nearly  forty  years  these  sturdy  Presbyterians  waited  for 
"a  minister  of  their  own,"  keeping  alive  the  holy  flame 
of  true  piety  by  the  daily  sacrifice  of  morning  and  even- 
ing worship  upon  the  family  altar,  the  head  of  each 
family  being  priest  in  his  own  house. 

Presbyterians  of  the  West  are  not  likely  to  forget  the 
generous  and  considerate  kindness  with  which  the  clergy 
of  the  Church  of  England  of  those  days  cared  for  that 
shepherdless  flock.  By  the  descendants  of  the  Selkirk 
settlers  the  names  of  John  West,  William  Cochrane, 
David  Jones  will  long  be  cherished,  who,  with  a  liberality 
that  may  appear  strange  to  rigid  Anglican  churchmen  of 
to  day,  but,  happily,  characteristic  of  those  primitive 
times,  not  only  performed  for  those  Presbyterian  people 
all  the  pastoral  functions  of  which  they  stood  in  need, 
visiting  their  sick,  baptizing,  marrying,  burying,  but 
even  went  so  far  as  to  adopt  at  one  of  the  services  of  the 
Sabbath,  a  form  of  worship  more  nearly  akin  to  that  so 
dear  to  Presbyterian  hearts.  There  are  not  wanting  of 
the  Anglican  Church  to-day  some  who  say  that  West 
and  his  fellow  clergymen  erred  in  their  liberality  and 
that  a  more  unyielding  policy  would  have  resulted  in 
the  shepherding  of  this  stubborn  flock  into  the  Anglican 
fold.  But  they  who  thus  speak  know  not  the  love  of 
Church  and  creed  inwrought  with  the  very  fibre  of  Scot- 
tish character;  and  more,  they  forget  that  in  those 
primeval  days  men  lived  nearer  the  simple  and  real 
things,  and  that  to  them  religion  was  more  than  Church 
and  brotherly  love  than  forms  of  worship. 


84:         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

At  length  the  petition  of  the  Selkirk  settlers  reached 
the  ears  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland.  By  that  Church 
it  was  passed  on  to  the  Free  Church  in  Canada.  There- 
upon the  Rev.  Dr.  Burns,  professor  in  Knox  College,  act- 
ing for  the  Foreign  Mission  Committee,  laid  hands  upon 
a  young  man  who  had  shown  vigour  and  sense  in  mission 
work  among  the  French  Canadians,  and  thrust  him  forth 
to  be  the  first  Presbyterian  missionary  to  Western  Canada. 
And  so  one  bright  September  Sabbath  morning  the  forty 
years  of  faith-keeping  by  these  Red  River  Presbyterians 
were  rewarded  when  three  hundred  of  them  gathered  to 
hear  the  Rev.  John  Black,  from  Canada,  preach  the  first 
Presbyterian  sermon  delivered  in  that  new  land. 

That  was  a  notable  gathering.  The  preacher  was  a 
great  man,  though  none  of  them  of  that  day  knew  just 
how  great.  It  took  thirty  years  of  knowing  to  reveal  that 
to  them,  and  to  many  others.  They  were  great  men, 
too,  who  formed  that  congregation.  They  had  convic- 
tions in  them  about  their  Church  and  the  forms  of  their 
religion,  and  while  they  had  gratefully  availed  them- 
selves of  the  religious  services  of  their  Anglican  neigh- 
bours, adapted  as  far  as  might  be  with  true  Christian 
courtesy  to  their  taste,  when  John  Black  appeared,  the 
iron  of  Calvinism  in  their  blood  forbade  that  there  should 
be  any  falling  away  from  the  faith  of  their  forefathers, 
and  so  with  one  accord  and  without  reproach,  they 
gathered  to  him  to  worship  according  to  their  ancient 
ritual. 

They  were  well  suited  to  each  other,  minister  and  peo- 
ple, and  with  the  years  they  grew  into  each  other's  trust 
and  love  till  a  bond  was  formed  between  them  that  neither 
time  nor  death  itself  could  snap.  Along  the  banks  of  the 
Red  River  lay  John  Black's  parish.  They  loved  the 
river,  did  those  lonely  exiles.  Every  farm,  therefore, 
must  have  its  river  front,  sometimes  three  chains,  never 


PIONEER  PRESBYTERIANS  85 

more  than  twelve  in  width,  with  its  rear  reaching  from 
two  to  four  miles  back  on  to  the  prairie,  and  on  every 
farm  front  there  stood  a  house  overlooking  the  Red  River. 
Small  wonder  they  loved  that  river.  It  was  their  line  of 
communication  by  boat  and  canoe  in  summer,  by  snow- 
shoe  and  skate,  dog-sled  and  toboggan  in  winter,  and  it 
was  at  all  times  the  bond  of  their  social  life.  And  thus 
it  was  that  John  Black's  parish  consisted  of  a  double  row 
of  houses,  one  on  either  side  of  that  street  of  tawny  flow- 
ing water.  In  and  out  of  these  river  homes  by  day  and 
by  night,  through  summer  and  through  winter,  faithful, 
loving  and  indefatigable,  wrought  the  minister  for  ten 
long  years  alone,  but  for  his  band  of  godly  elders  and  his 
devoted  wife,  Henrietta  Ross. 

During  these  ten  years  the  settlement  continued  to 
grow,  not  only  in  numbers,  but  in  extent  as  well,  oif- 
shoots  from  the  parent  colony  venturing  the  daring  ex- 
periment of  farming  the  bleak  and  unsheltered  prairie 
back  from  the  river.  About  the  fort,  too,  a  little  village 
was  springing  up,  ambitious,  seditious,  vicious  Winnipeg, 
requiring  constant  spiritual  oversight  and  care.  Thus 
the  work  grew  far  beyond  the  strength  of  even  this  tire- 
less missionary.  But  with  an  apathy  inexplicable,  the 
Church  in  the  East  remained  unmoved,  and  though  year 
by  year  Black  kept  sounding  his  lonely  cry  for  helpers, 
he  was  forced  to  toil  on  at  his  post  unaided  and  alone. 
But  he  never  faltered,  nor  did  he  ever  think  of  retreat. 
To  this  work  and  this  land  he  had  given  himself,  and 
here  he  would  abide  till  the  call  should  come  which 
would  set  him  free  from  all  his  weary  toil  and  summon 
him  to  his  larger  service  and  to  his  reward. 


XI 

THE  CALL  OF  THE  WEST 

THE  reports  of  the  strange  wild  land  west  of  the 
Lakes,  and  of  the  settlements  forming,  kept  com- 
ing back  to  Eastern  Canada  through  many 
channels.  By  private  letters,  by  traders,  travellers  and 
explorers,  and  by  John  Black's  regularly  recurring  peti- 
tions for  assistance,  the  Christian  people  of  Eastern 
Canada  began  to  be  aware  of  that  distant  point  of  British 
North  America,  and  to  have  a  conscience  towards  it.  At 
length,  in  response  to  his  appeals  for  helpers,  Eev.  James 
Nisbet  was  sent  out  in  1862,  and  for  four  years  this  mis- 
sionary assisted  the  heroic  Black,  ministering  to  the 
settlements  at  Kildonan,  Little  Britain,  Fairfield,  Head- 
ingly,  Park's  Creek,  and  Fort  Garry. 

But  in  addition  to  the  burden  of  responsibility  which 
he  carried  day  by  day  for  his  people  scattered  thus  widely 
through  these  growing  communities,  Black's  heart  went 
out  towards  the  native  races  whose  proximity  made  con- 
stant appeal  to  his  conscience  and  to  whom  many  of  his 
people  were  bound  by  ties  of  blood.  It  is  this  yearning 
after  the  Indian  peoples  of  the  land  that  inspired  his 
famous  letter  sent  in  1864  to  the  Synod  of  the  Canada 
Presbyterian  Church. 

"I  am  not  satisfied,"  he  writes  in  noble  complaint, 
"  with  our  Church's  position  in  regard  to  missions.  We 
are  doing  nothing  directly  to  spread  the  Gospel  among 
those  that  are  without.  We  are  leaving  the  high  places 
of  the  field  to  other  communions  ;  and,  what  is  worse, 
there  are  places  of  the  field  loft  uncultivated  and  uncared 

86 


THE  CALL  OF  THE  WEST  87 

for  altogether  because  we  and  others  are  not  doing  our 
share  of  the  work.  I  do  not  lightly  esteem  the  work  our 
Church  is  actually  doing.  I  recognize  with  thankfulness 
the  energy  and  zeal  she  is  displaying.  I  do  not  forget 
her  great  work  in  Canada,  or  her  missions  to  her  own 
people  in  British  Columbia  and  Kupert's  Land.  It  is  of 
vast  importance  to  keep  what  we  actually  have,  and  to 
establish  ourselves  with  the  very  earliest  in  the  new 
colonies.  I  would  not  have  this  work  cut  short,  but 
rather  prosecuted  more  vigorously.  Still,  there  is  an- 
other branch  of  the  Church's  work  in  which  we  clearly 
fail.  We  have  no  heathen  mission.  If  'missions  are 
the  chief  end  of  the  Christian  Church, '  then  so  far,  at 
least,  we  fail  in  our  chief  end.  We  are  incomplete,  we 
lack  one  essential  part  of  the  Church's  equipment,  we  do 
not  fully  implement  our  great  commission,  *  Go  ye  into 
all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature.7 
I  am  not  satisfied  with  this  state  of  things.  I  feel  it  a 
check  on  my  prayers  for  missions  that  we  are  not  labour- 
ing for  missions.  I  have  little  heart  in  trying  to  stir  up 
a  missionary  feeling  amongst  the  people  when  I  cannot 
point  out  an  appropriate  channel  by  which  that  spirit 
may  vent  itself,  nor  can  I  plead  freely  for  a  liberal  col- 
lection for  the  Foreign  Mission  Committee  when  in  the 
usual  acceptance  of  the  term,  we  have  no  foreign  missions 
at  all. 

"I  cannot  but  think  that  many  of  you  must  feel  on 
this  subject  much  as  I  do.  The  missionary  element 
seems  to  enter  into  the  very  conception  of  a  church,  but 
in  looking  at  our  own,  we  see  that  that  element  is  want- 
ing, and  we  feel  there  is  something  deficient.  We  try  to 
persuade  ourselves  that  our  work  is  rather  among  our 
own  people  than  among  the  heathen,  and  for  a  time, 
when  the  pressure  of  a  special  need  is  upon  us,  we  make 
ourselves  think  so,  but  when  the  pressure  is  removed  and 


88         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

our  thoughts  and  Christian  instincts  return  to  their 
natural  course,  our  former  dissatisfaction  returns,  we  feel 
that  there  is  something  wanting,  something  incomplete, 
a  duty  undone  or  not  attempted  to  be  done.  Nor  does  it 
seem  to  mend  matters  much  that  we  contribute  to  the 
missions  of  the  other  Churches.  There  seems  to  be  a 
conscience  for  our  own  Church  that  nothing  will  satisfy 
but  direct,  earnest  effort  on  our  own  part,  a  mission  or 
missions  of  our  own.  It  is  surely  time  that  the  present 
state  of  things  was  changed  and  our  Church  put  in  her 
right  position  j  that  she  should  be  put  ahead  of  other 
Churches  and,  what  is  far  more,  abreast  of  her  duty  in 
doing  the  work  of  God  among  the  heathen.  I  think,  in- 
stead of  finding  such  a  work  a  burden,  we  should  feel  it 
a  relief,  that  we  should  feel  a  liberty  and  enlargement  in 
our  minds  which  we  do  not  experience.  I  know  that 
many  of  you  have  been  giving  this  matter  prayerful  and 
earnest  thought,  and  that  various  plans  and  schemes  have 
been  proposed  ;  but  now  it  is  surely  time  to  take  practical 
action.  Let  this  be  the  distinction  of  the  Synod  of  1864. 
Let  it  begin  the  work  of  heathen  missions,  and  first  of  all, 
let  it  acknowledge  the  claims  of  the  heathen  of  our  own 
country,  of  British  North  America.  I  for  one  would  not 
have  you  think  in  the  meantime  of  any  other  field. 
Other  fields  may  be,  indeed,  more  promising,  but  that  is 
not  the  question.  Providence  clearly  points  out  this 
field  as  ours,  and  that  is  all  we  have  to  look  at.  Nor  is 
it  so  discouraging  as  is  sometimes  supposed.  I  know  of 
nothing  more  cheering  anywhere  than  the  state  of  the 
Episcopal  missions  in  the  far  North  under  the  charge  of 
my  dear  friends  Mr.  Kirby  and  Mr.  McDonald.  And 
there  are  points  yet  unoccupied  where  we  might  hope  to 
labour,  if  not  with  equal,  at  least  with  an  encouraging 
measure  of  success.  Details  about  one  of  them  are  al- 
ready in  the  hands  of  your  committee. 


THE  CALL  OF  THE  WEST  89 

"And  do  not  be  afraid  of  expense.  There  can  be 
little  doubt  that  such  an  effort  made  by  their  own  Church, 
and  giving  them  a  mission  of  their  own,  would  call  forth, 
by  God's  blessing,  a  spirit  of  liberality  among  our  peo- 
ple which  would  disappoint  all  our  fears  and  make  us 
glad  and  thankful. " 

Two  years  later,  the  desire  of  Dr.  Black's  heart  was 
satisfied  in  the  appointment  of  Msbet  as  missionary  to 
the  Cree  Indians  of  the  plains.  Nisbet  established  his 
mission  at  a  point  of  the  North  Saskatchewan  five  hun- 
dred miles  northwest  of  Fort  Garry,  where  he  founded 
the  town  of  Prince  Albert,  which  thus  became  the  head- 
quarters of  the  first  Presbyterian  mission  to  the  Indians 
of  the  northwest,  as  also  the  nucleus  of  a  rapidly  growing 
white  settlement. 

After  eight  years  of  unwearied  service,  Nisbet  and  his 
devoted  wife,  a  native  of  Kildonan,  returned  to  the  old 
home,  spent  and  broken  in  health,  both  to  die.  They 
sleep  in  the  sacred  ground  of  the  old  Kildonan  church- 
yard, but  their  work  abides. 

Meanwhile  the  staff  of  workers  continued  gradually  to 
increase,  till  between  the  years  1866  and  1870  there  were 
five  ordained  ministers  in  the  field :  Black.  Nisbet, 
Matheson,  Fletcher,  and  McNab.  But  far  beyond  the 
powers  of  these  men  the  settlements  were  extending. 
The  streams  of  immigration  kept  steadily  trickling  into 
the  Bed  Eiver  valley,  till  the  rising  tide  flowed  far  out 
upon  the  plains  east,  west  and  north,  so  that  in  addition 
to  the  claims  of  the  settlements  already  supplied  with 
Gospel  ordinances,  daily  appeals  came  from  groups  of 
settlers  strewn  over  the  prairie  at  such  points  as  High 
Bluff,  Eockwood,  Portage  la  Prairie,  and  Palestine. 

The  year  1870  was,  undoubtedly,  the  annus  mirdbilis 
in  the  history  of  Western  Canada.  It  was  the  year  of  the 
First  Eebelliou,  the  year  when  the  change  of  govern- 


90         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

ment  from  that  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  to  that  of 
the  Dominion  Government  went  into  practical  effect ;  it 
was  the  year,  too,  that  saw  the  birth  of  the  Province  of 
Manitoba ;  it  was  the  year  when  Canadians  discovered 
their  great  West.  By  Presbyterians  it  is  remembered 
as  the  year  in  which  Manitoba  came  near  enough  to  the 
Eastern  Church  to  be  considered  a  home  mission  rather 
than  a  foreign  mission  field,  and  the  year  also  in  which 
the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba  was  erected. 

The  organization  of  that  Presbytery,  which  took  place 
on  the  16th  of  June,  1870,  was  conducted  with  appropri- 
ate solemnities,  full  care  being  taken  to  have  everything 
"done  decently  and  in  order. "  The  official  sermon  was 
preached  by  the  Moderator  appointed  by  the  Synod  of 
the  Canada  Presbyterian  Church,  Rev.  John  Black, 
from  the  text :  "  Therefore  seeing  we  have  this  ministry, 
as  we  have  received  mercy,  we  faint  not."  It  was  a 
brave  text,  uttered  first  by  a  brave  man,  and  now  after 
many  centuries  chosen  by  a  brave  man  to  set  his  fellows 
and  himself  at  their  work  with  sufficient  faith  and  cour- 
age. And  they  had  need  of  both  courage  and  faith,  for 
the  responsibilities  and  the  opportunities  of  that  day. 
The  sermon  done,  the  assembled  congregation  of  Kildonan 
folk  remained  to  meet  with  the  a  fathers  and  brethren. " 
There  they  sat,  three  ministers,  Black,  Fletcher,  and 
McNab,  the  fourth,  James  Msbet,  being  five  hundred 
miles  away  at  his  lonely  post  among  the  Crees,  and  their 
elders,  Angus  Poison,  John  Sutherland,  and  Donald  Gunu. 
There  they  sat  to  deliberate  concerning  the  affairs  of  the 
kingdom  in  that  land  so  remote  and  limitless  and  so 
rapidly  swallowing  up  the  incoming  people  for  whom 
they  must  care.  Their  moderator  had  bidden  them 
"faint  not."  Faint?  Not  they.  Men  wearing  such 
names  faint  not  easily.  With  assured  confidence  they 
grappled  with  their  business  and  when  they  rose  for  the 


THE  CALL  OF  THE  WEST  91 

benediction  that  sent  them  off  to  their  various  fields, 
several  great  things  had  got  done.  They  had  named  and 
set  forward  as  pace  a  congregation  in  the  capital  city  of 
the  province,  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg.  They  had  or- 
ganized a  Home  Mission  campaign  and  they  had  planned 
a  college.  In  very  deed  there  was  no  "fainting"  in 
John  Black  and  those  who  sat  with  him  in  presbytery. 
Under  their  hand  the  work  rapidly  progressed. 

The  General  Assembly  of  the  Canada  Presbyterian 
Church,  of  course,  granted  the  prayer  of  this  Presbytery >s 
overture  and  duly  established  Manitoba  College  as  an 
institution  for  higher  learning.  The  site  chosen  for  the 
college  was  Kildonan,  suitable  buildings  having  been 
provided  by  the  congregation.  A  college  meant  pro- 
fessors. Accordingly,  next  year,  1871,  Rev.  George 
Bryce,  M.  A.,  came  West  to  be  the  first  professor  in 
Manitoba  College,  to  preach  for  the  congregation  of  Knox 
Church  in  Winnipeg  and  incidentally  to  enter  upon  that 
career  of  missionary  activity  which  he  has  pursued  ever 
since  with  such  remarkable  energy  and  zeal.  A  few 
months  later,  in  the  following  year,  the  Church  of  Scot- 
land Synod,  cooperating  with  the  Canada  Presbyterian 
Church  in  both  the  missionary  and  educational  move- 
ment, sent  out  the  Eev.  Thomas  Hart,  M.  A.,  as  pro- 
fessor of  Manitoba  College,  who,  coming  to  the  West  and 
finding  the  mission  work  far  beyond  the  powers  of  those 
in  the  field,  took  up  in  addition  to  his  college  duties  his 
full  share  of  missionary  labour,  in  which  varied  service 
for  thirty -five  years  he  has  toiled  on  with  unwearied  zeal 
and  unassuming  devotion. 

But  toil  as  they  might,  the  whole  force  of  ministers, 
missionaries  and  professors  could  not  keep  pace  with  the 
country.  Along  the  black  trails  by  which  the  freighters 
made  their  way  West  and  North,  the  pioneer  prairie 
"schooners"  steadily  streamed,  for  no  matter  if  land  in 


92         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

abundance  and  of  the  best  lay  unclaimed  at  the  door  of 
the  settlements  already  formed,  the  far  cry  of  the  alluring 
West  haunted  the  newcomers  and  they  could  not  rest  till 
they  had  passed  beyond  the  limits  of  civilization,  leaving 
their  Church  to  follow  if  she  cared  or  could.  Day  after 
day  and  week  after  week  this  stream  passed  on  unheeded 
of  all  except  those  who  had  been  bidden  to  watch. 

It  was  no  easy  task  to  secure  missionaries  for  Western 
Canada.  The  country  was  remote,  the  field  was  hard, 
distances  were  great,  privations  many,  isolation  trying. 
Occasionally  a  man  broke  down  and  retired  to  the  East. 
Nisbet  dropped  at  his  post  and  ever  as  the  Presbytery 
met,  rumours  were  exchanged  of  settlements  still  beyond, 
unreached  by  the  message  of,  the  Gospel.  No  wonder  if 
that  cry  of  the  West,  new  then,  now  grown  so  old,  for 
men  and  more  men  began  to  assail  Eastern  ears  with  un- 
varying insistence.  From  sheer  monotony  of  its  repeti- 
tion the  Church  began  to  grow  indifferent  to  the  cry. 
Besides,  every  man  was  busy  with  his  own,  and  the  West 
was  very  far  away.  But  in  one  case  and  that  a  most 
notable,  the  call  found  response.  The  young,  vigorous, 
and  ambitious  congregation  of  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg, 
proud  of  its  newly  organized  Session  and  its,  for  the 
second  time,  enlarged  church,  seeking  a  minister,  ap- 
proached no  less  a  person  than  the  Convener  of  the  Home 
Mission  Committee  himself,  Rev.  William  Cochrane, 
with  a  view  to  call.  They  were  not  encouraged  to  pro- 
ceed. But  in  the  Convener's  Presbytery  of  Paris  there 
was  a  young  minister  who,  ever  on  the  alert  for  the 
neglected  and  outcast,  was  continually  stirring  up  his 
Presbytery  to  Home  Mission  effort.  James  Eobertson,  of 
Norwich.  To  him  the  appeal  was  sent  to  go  West  to 
preach  in  Knox  Church  for  six  months,  to  spy  out  the 
land,  find  out  the  true  condition  of  things  and  report. 
The  West  had  often  appealed  to  him  as  a  field  for  mis- 


THE  CALL  OF  THE  WEST  93 

sionary  effort.  He  was  in  need  of  a  rest  and  change,  and 
so  he  resolved  to  see  this  new  and  wonderful  land,  to  give 
such  help  as  he  could  for  the  space  of  time  indicated  and 
to  return.  It  was  the  dead  of  winter  and  no  time  to  go 
exploring  that  land  of  frosts  and  blizzards.  Besides,  it 
was  the  holiday  season.  But  for  Eobertson  frosts  and 
blizzards  had  little  terror,  and  times  and  seasons  mattered 
not  when  the  call  of  duty  sounded.  There  was  work  to 
be  done.  He  had  undertaken  to  do  it  and  the  sooner  he 
was  at  it  the  better.  So  he  left  his  home,  his  wife  and 
family  of  babies  a  day  or  two  before  the  New  Year  and 
set  his  face  westward. 


XII 

THE  WESTWARD  TRAIL 

ON  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  December  30,  1873, 
a  young  minister  from  the  country,  tall  and 
spare  of  form  and  rugged  of  face,  stood  in  the 
Union  Station  at  Toronto,  facing  the  westward  trail.  It 
was  the  Eev.  James  Eobertson,  of  Norwich.  There  was 
none  with  him  to  bid  him  Godspeed,  and  yet  a  very  con- 
siderable interest  attached  to  his  journey.  He  was  going 
on  a  mission  for  his  Church  to  that  great  wonderland  of 
the  new  West.  And  while  the  vast  majority  of  his  fellow 
churchmen  knew  nothing  of  his  purpose  and,  indeed, 
would  be  but  slightly  interested  had  they  known,  there 
were  a  few  among  those  who  had  looked  farthest  into  the 
future  and  estimated  the  possibilities  of  Western  develop- 
ment to  whom  this  mission  was  of  the  most  profound 
importance. 

It  took  him  ten  days  to  make  his  first  trip  to  the  West. 
Twenty-three  years  before,  it  had  taken  John  Black 
eight  weeks  to  make  the  same  trip.  To-day  a  servant 
of  the  Church  going  on  a  Western  mission  spends  two 
nights  and  a  day  in  the  palatial  comfort  of  a  Pullman 
car  and  arrives  at  the  metropolis  of  the  West.  Robert- 
son' s  route  lay  by  Detroit,  Chicago,  and  St.  Paul.  His 
New  Year  Day  he  spent  on  the  journey  between  the  two 
latter  cities.  On  the  second  of  January  he  left  St.  Paul, 
got  stuck  in  a  snow-drift  and  so  did  not  reach  Brecken- 
ridge,  the  end  of  the  railway,  till  Sunday  afternoon,  a 

94 


THE  WESTWARD  TRAIL  95 

day  late.     Writing  his  wife  from  Breckenridge  under 
date  of  January  5th,  he  says  : 

"  We  got  in  here  all  right  last  night,  without  making 
much  delay  after  we  started  from  where  we  got  fast.  For 
those  thirty-nine  miles  the  prairie  was  perfectly  level, 
with  no  wood  in  sight  till  we  came  near  Breck,  where  we 
saw  some  along  the  Sioux  Wood  River.  Breck  is  at  the 
confluence  of  the  Sioux  and  Otter  Tail,  which  two  after- 
wards flowing  due  north  form  what  is  called  the  Red 
River  of  the  North.  Here  there  are  but  few  inhabitants, 
perhaps  about  a  hundred,  and  very  few  in  the  neighbour- 
ing country.  The  Sioux  forms  the  boundary  between 
the  state  of  Minnesota  and  Dakota  territory.  The  river 
is  not  navigable  as  far  as  this,  owing  to  the  shallowness 
of  the  water  and  sandbars.  Up  to  Moorhead  boats  come. 
I  am  writing  in  the  morning,  and  may  find  out  more 
about  the  place  before  I  go  away. 

"  When  I  came  here  last  night  I  found  that  there  was 
but  one  hotel  in  the  place.  There  I  got  good  food,  clean 
and  well  cooked  ;  sausage,  beefsteak  and  roast  chicken 
that  should  satisfy  any  person.  I  did  justice  to  what  I 
knew.  I  never  cared  to  buy  a  pig  in  a  '  pock,'  nor  did 
I  care  much  about  eating  a  pig,  or  something  worse,  in  a 
<pock.'» 

While  en  route  he  had  his  introduction  to  some  new 
gastronomic  experiences.  He  writes  : 

"  Meals  cost  seventy-five  and  fifty  cents  each,  a  bed 
accordingly.  Accommodation  was  tolerable  to  Moorhead, 
but  in  the  three  staging  days  things  were  intolerable.  I 
never  tasted  butter ;  beef  and  potatoes  only  kept  me  alive. 
Bread  was  an  outrage  on  the  name.  Potatoes  were  good 
if  left  whole,  but  when  they  mashed  them  you  did  not 
know  what  you  had.  The  beef  would  do  for  patent 
leather  soles  ;  you  could  eat  it,  but  rubbing  it  on  a  dirty 
plate  and  cleaning  a  dirty  knife  in  trying  to  cut  it,  you 


96         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

ate  your  peck  of  dirt  certainly.  After  all,  however,  I 
felt  none  the  worse.  The  next  day  I  was  hale  and 
hearty. " 

Arriving  at  Breckenridge  on  Sunday  afternoon,  like 
a  true  Presbyterian  he  set  about  to  discover  a  place  of 
worship. 

1 1  Found  out  on  inquiry  that  there  was  no  service  but 
by  one  man  in  the  place,  and  that  he  was  sick.  Found 
out  he  was  a  Presbyterian  and  a  Scotchman,  by  calling 
on  him  after  supper.  He  had  been  ill  with  inflammation 
of  the  bowels,  but  was  getting  better.  They  had  to  get  a 
doctor  one  hundred  and  seventeen  miles  off  to  attend  him. 
He  is  from  Ohio — originally  from  Scotland.  Has  a  wife 
and  nine  children,  one  only  eighteen  months,  like  our 
Gi,  I  suppose.  Appears  to  have  had  no  good  time.  The 
good  man,  among  the  people,  longs  to  get  under  the  old 
flag  and  be  among  Scotch  folk.  He  is  much  opposed  to 
present  changes,  etc.,  among  the  American  people.  Is 
uncertain  whether  he  will  stay  here.  I  am  afraid  he  is 
too  old  for  the  place." 

Indeed,  it  is  a  land  that  cannot  tolerate  the  old.  The 
young,  the  vigorous  alone,  can  keep  their  feet  in  this 
rough  and  tumble  "West.  He  leaves  Mr.  Thomas,  the  old 
Scotch  minister,  a  little  less  lonely  and  much  comforted, 
and  carries  away  with  him  as  a  token  of  the  old  man's 
gratitude  a  fur  coat,  the  first  he  had  ever  worn,  which 
will  stand  him  in  very  good  stead  in  the  two  hundred 
and  nineteen  miles  of  stage  journey  that  wait  him. 

In  Breckenridge  he  has  his  first  experience  of  low 
temperatures.  He  will  have  many  more  before  he  is  done 
with  them.  But  Robertson  enjoys  it. 

1 '  Had  a  comfortable  sleep  after  retiring.  Piled  plaid, 
overcoat,  clothing,  etc.,  over  me  and  felt  quite  warm. 
Room  was  full  of  snow  and  water  solid  ;  the  thermometer 
stood  at  twenty-eight  below  zero  after  I  got  up. "  "  Twenty- 


THE  WESTWARD  TRAIL  97 

eight  below  "  disturbs  him  but  little.  Indeed,  his  philo- 
sophic temper  and  his  God-given  sense  of  humour  carry  him 
through  much.  "  Can't  get  away  from  the  place  till  to- 
morrow, and  hence  must  rest  contented.  It  takes  four 
days  to  get  through  even  if  no  storms  come  on.  If  it 
storms  we  stay  on  the  way."  Sensible  man,  and,  indeed, 
what  else  is  there  to  be  done  f 

On  Friday  evening,  the  ninth  of  January,  1874,  he 
drives  up  the  straggling  street  of  shacks  and  stores  that 
huddled  on  the  bleak  prairie  about  the  big  stone  fort, 
over  which  floats  the  flag  of  the  honourable  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  an  unlovely,  irregular,  but  very  bustling 
hamlet,  calling  itself  Winnipeg.  There  was  little  welcome 
for  him,  no  deputation  of  congregation  or  social  gather- 
ing for  the  incoming  minister.  He  puts  up  at  the  Davis 
Hotel  and  makes  himself  as  comfortable  as  he  can  in  that 
roaring,  crowded  hostelry  till  morning. 

His  first  business  is  to  send  a  wire  to  his  wife,  and 
thus  he  establishes  a  line  of  communication  between  the 
West  and  the  home  that  holds  those  dear  to  him  far  away, 
a  line  of  communication  that  will  not  be  closed  for  over 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  though  neither  he  nor  they  guess 
that  any  such  heart-stretching  is  to  be  their  fate.  In  a 
letter  to  his  wife,  dated  January  12th,  1874,  he  says : 

"  I  called  on  Bryce  on  coming  in  here,  and  found  things 
not  very  pleasant.  There  were  no  preparations  made  for 
boarding,  etc.,  the  reason  of  which  perhaps  appears  in 
the  sequel." 

And  the  sequel  is  not  altogether  pleasant.  The  facts 
appear  to  be  that  some  four  weeks  before  the  representa- 
tive of  the  Canada  Presbyterian  Church  arrived  in  Winni- 
peg, the  Church  of  Scotland  Synod  in  Canada  had  sent  in 
a  minister,  Rev.  Dr.  W.  Clark,  to  supply  the  congregation 
of  Knox  Church  in  the  meantime,  and  to  assist  in  the 
mission  work  in  which  the  Church  of  Scotland  was  anxious 


98         THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

to  take  part.  It  will  throw  much  light  upon  the  painful 
events  that  follow  if  we  remember  that  at  this  date  the 
two  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  namely,  that  in 
sympathy  with  the  Established  Church  of  Scotland,  the 
"Auld  Kirk,"  and  that  in  sympathy  with  the  Free 
Church  of  Scotland,  had  not  yet  come  together,  and  con- 
sequently between  these  sister  Churches  so  closely  allied, 
there  was  a  very  considerable  and  bitter  jealousy,  with 
intense  rivalry.  Members  of  both  these  branches  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  were  living  in  Winnipeg,  and  al- 
though Knox  Church  was  formally  attached  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Manitoba  which  was  erected  by  the  Canada 
Presbyterian  Church,  a  number  of  those  adhering  to  the 
"  Auld  Kirk"  had  associated  themselves  with  the  con- 
gregation and  were  active  and  influential  members  of  the 
same.  The  simple  and  just  solution  of  the  difficulty 
which  confronted  Robertson  on  his  arrival  was  that 
Dr.  Clark  should  give  place  to  the  man  who  had  been 
invited  by  the  congregation  and  had  been  officially  ap- 
pointed by  the  authoritative  body  recognized  by  the 
congregation,  the  Home  Mission  Committee.  But  ap- 
parently that  is  just  what  the  reverend  and  worthy  doctor 
was  most  unwilling  to  do.  He  finds  himself  in  charge 
of  Knox  Church.  The  position  is  much  to  his  liking. 
He  is  a  minister  of  years  and  standing  and  he  hesitates 
to  surrender  at  the  bidding  of  this  stranger.  The  del- 
icacy of  the  situation  is  sensibly  increased  by  the  fact 
that  while  the  party  of  the  "  Auld  Kirk  "  in  the  congre- 
gation are  not  numerically  great,  they  are  socially  in- 
fluential and  are  decidedly  not  to  be  sniffed  at. 

"  So  we  went  down  to  see  Mr.  Black,"  writes  Robert- 
son, "about  the  whole  matter — Mr.  Bryce  and  I.  They 
all  felt  that  it  would  not  be  fair  to  me  to  do  anything  else 
than  preach  if  I  insisted  on  it  at  once,  but  that  it  might 
do  harm  if  that  should  be  done,  by  the  '  Auld  Kirk  > 


THE  WESTWARD  TRAIL  99 

party  thinking  that  others,  i.  e.,  those  of  our  own  Church, 
wished  to  have  things  all  their  own  way."  Robertson's 
answer  is  characteristic  and  significant :  "I  told  them," 
he  says,  "that  I  expected  to  preach  here,  but  that  I 
would  not  for  a  while  say  anything,  that  I  had  come  to 
help  and  not  to  obstruct,  that  I  would  not  on  any  account 
be  the  means  of  giving  umbrage  and  leading  to  the  set- 
ting up  of  another  church.  Consequently,  I  am  going 
away  after  about  two  weeks,  up  to  Palestine,  about  one 
hundred  miles  away,  to  preach  in  the  place  vacated  by 
Mr.  McNab.  I  will  stay  there  for  about  six  weeks  and 
then  come  back  to  take  charge  of  this  congregation  per- 
manently. I  did  not  quite  like  it,  but  I  suppose  it  is 
best."  His  good  sense,  his  philosophic  temper,  and, 
above  all,  his  missionary  spirit,  help  him  to  his  wise  self- 
denial.  So  off  to  Palestine  (now  Gladstone)  he  will  go, 
one  hundred  miles  west,  for  six  weeks ;  a  field  forbidding 
enough,  but  possessed  of  one  great  lure.  "  I  can,  while 
away,  see  all  the  stations  up  there,  and  this  will  save  me 
time  again."  Besides,  he  has  the,  hope  that  by  this 
move  the  difficulties  of  the  situation  will  be  smoothed  out, 
for  "  Presbytery  meets  on  the  4th  of  March,  and  after 
that  time  Dr.  Clark,  I  suppose,  will  go  up  to  Palestine." 
But  will  he  ?  Not  if  we  have  rightly  estimated  the  doc- 
tor. But  we  shall  see.  This  settled,  he  retires  with  Mr. 
Bryce  to  Winnipeg  for  the  night. 

We  learn  how  his  first  Sabbath  in  the  West  is  spent 
from  his  first  Winnipeg  letter  to  his  wife.  That  Sabbath 
is  remarkable  for  this,  among  other  things,  that  on  that 
day  he  heard  two  men  preach  while  he  himself  preached 
but  once,  which  arrangement  will  not  often  be  made 
again  while  he  remains  in  the  work. 

"Went  down  yesterday,"  he  writes,  "to  preach  for 
Mr.  Black  at  Kildonan.  He  has  a  good  congregation, 
almost  all  Highland  people  and  their  descendants.  Their 


100       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBEKTSON 

forefathers  came  here  in  1815."  But  in  the  afternoon  he 
heard  Mr.  Black  preach,  and  then  in  the  evening  caine 
back  to  Winnipeg,  where  he  heard  Dr.  Clark  in  Knox 
Church.  "I  cannot  say  I  like  him,"  he  frankly  con- 
fesses to  his  wife.  Well,  hardly.  We  must  not  expect 
too  much  of  a  man  standing  outside  and  seeing  through 
the  window  another  eating  the  dinner  that  should  have 
been  his.  Besides,  preaching,  as  we  shall  see,  was  ap- 
parently not  Dr.  Clark's  strong  point.  What  a  pity  he 
did  not  enjoy  that  sermon  !  It  is  the  last  he  will  hear  for 
many  a  day.  Hereafter,  wherever  he  is  and  preaching 
is  being  done,  Mr.  Eobertson  himself  will  be  doing  it. 

That  day  closes  as  many  a  day  will  for  him  in  the  years 
to  come,  though  he  knows  it  not,  in  homesick  loneliness. 
"Now  about  home,"  he  writes;  "how  are  you  all  I  I 
went  to  the  post-office  to-day  to  see  if  there  might  not  be 
something,  but  was  disappointed  as  I  might  expect,  for 
you  have  had  no  time  yet.  How  I  would  like  to  look  in 
on  you  all  and  see  how  you  are  doing  !  Tina  and  Willie 
will  be  just  about  going  to  bed,  and  what  about  'Ba 
Buddy '  ?  I  feel  lonesome  already  without  you  all.  How 
shall  it  be  before  July  ?  You  must  write  me  often  and 
regularly  else  I  am  afraid  I  cannot  stand  it." 

The  westward  trail  is  a  hard  trail.  Fifteen  hundred 
miles  away  the  children  are  going  to  bed  without  their 
father's  good- night,  and  he  without  their  warm  kisses  on 
his  lips.  Their  mother  will  need  to  do  for  them  that 
night,  as  for  many,  many  nights  to  come.  Truly  the  war- 
fare is  costly.  "  He  that  forsaketh  not  all  that  he  hath," 
said  the  Master.  That  is  true.  And  He  might  have  said, 
and  He  meant,  "  He  that  loveth  husband  more  than  Me." 
For  as  husband  and  father  must  pay  the  price,  so  that 
price  the  lonely  wife  and  mother  will  pay  in  the  slow, 
dropping  coinage  of  the  heart  as  the  years  go  on. 


XIII 

THE  MAKING  OF  A  SUPERINTENDENT 

NOT  every  day  is  a  superintendent  made.  Cer- 
tainly not  in  the  democratic,  independent,  in- 
dividualistic Presbyterian  Church  of  ours  with 
its  reverence  for  the  doctrine  of  the  parity  of  elders.  Yet 
it  was  no  new  thing,  but  as  old  as  John  Knox,  that  an- 
cient church- maker,  strong  of  faith,  strong  of  heart  and 
strong  of  common  sense,  as  witness  his  parish  school,  his 
catechisms,  and  his  superintendents.  So  old  was  the 
office  that  few  had  remembered  its  existence,  and  thus  it 
seemed  a  new  thing  and  fraught  with  danger  as,  to  some, 
are  all  new  things.  If  it  is  true  that  poets  are  born,  not 
made  ;  it  is  also  true  that  our  superintendent  was  both 
born  and  made;  born  of  a  good  sturdy  breed,  made, 
shaped,  hammered,  ground,  polished  in  the  battering 
Western  life  till  he  became  God's  own  instrument  for 
God's  good  work  for  Western  Canada. 

It  began  with  that  trip  to  Palestine  which,  with  the 
courtesy  and  common  sense  that  distinguished  him,  he 
agreed  to  take,  leaving  Dr.  Clark  in  charge  of  the  church 
at  Winnipeg.  He  had  thought  to  get  away  to  the  West 
by  the  next  week's  stage,  but  the  26th  of  January  still 
finds  him  in  Winnipeg.  Writing  to  his  wife,  he  says : 

"  The  stage  went  away  yesterday  evening  and  was  so 
loaded  with  mail  matter  that  it  could  not  take  any  per- 
son. Hence  I  am  here.  Was  down  at  Kildonan  and  am 
to  take  one  of  Mr.  Black's  horses  and  keep  him  while  I 
am  away.  This  is  perhaps  the  best  way  after  all.  I  am 

101 


102       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

sorry  to  have  lost  to-day,  however,  for  it  was  very  fine. 
Hope  for  .good  weather  yet.  Expect  to  be  away  in  the 
liiorning.  Houbes  for  at  least  sixty  miles  are  all  along 
rl-f  vi.y.  I  ani  noi  so  sure  after,  but  from,  that  point  I 
expect  a  guide."  Meantime,  he  is  not  losing  his  time. 
His  days  are  full  of  work  and  his  moments  of  observation. 

i 1 1  preached  here  yesterday.  Day  intensely  cold  in 
the  morning.  Attendance  good — evening  better — I  am 
told  it  is  generally  so  here.  Congregation  strongly  male 
and  young.  Quite  a  number  of  them  unmarried.  They 
want  me  very  much  to  take  charge  of  them.  I  am  some- 
what apprehensive  of  trouble  unless  they  are  happily 
settled.  We  have  had  a  good  deal  of  cold  weather  since 
I  came.  There  is  not  much  snow  on  the  ground — not  a 
foot,  I  think,  on  the  level.  There  has  been  keen  frost 
continuously  with  the  exception  of  a  day  or  two  since  I 
arrived.  They  never  have  rain  here  in  winter.  In  con- 
sequence of  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere  and  the  frosty 
weather,  all  can  wear  moccasins,  as  almost  all  do  on  ac- 
count of  the  greater  warmth.  It  looks  odd  to  see  men 
and  women  going  to  church  moccasined,  and  especially 
to  see  a  reverend  gentleman,"  the  good  Mr.  Black, 
"  dressed  in  gown  and  moccasins  ascending  the  pulpit 
stairs."  However  odd  it  may  appear  to  him,  he  has  all 
the  tenderfoot's  desire  for  new  experiences,  hence  he  con- 
tinues, ' '  Have  been  presented  with  a  pair,  but  they  are 
too  small,  I  fear,  for  me,  and  I  purchased  a  pair  of  moose 
skin  for  $1.25.  Will  put  them  on  to  go  to  White  Mud  or 
Palestine.  In  consequence  of  the  dryness  of  the  atmos- 
phere and  the  keen  frost,  there  is  really  no  good  sleigh- 
ing, for  the  snow  does  not  pack.  You  can  go  anywhere 
over  the  prairie." 

At  length,  on  the  27th  of  January,  with  Mr.  Black's 
"old  nag,  harness  and  rig  to  match,"  he  set  forth  for 
Palestine.  His  account  of  his  trip  is  interesting.  "It 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SUPERINTENDENT    103 

was  nearly  noon  ere  I  came  away.     I  stopped  at  Head- 

ingly  at  Mr.  Me 's  for  dinner.     Things  were  rather 

primitive,  but  the  people  were  very  kind.  Went  about 
nine  miles  farther  and  came  to  a  tavern  where  I  stopped 
for  the  night.  Found  a  large  number  of  travellers  there 
going  up  and  down."  Yes,  and,  doubtless,  took  full  toll 
of  them  concerning  country,  settlement,  crops,  schools, 
stray  Presbyterians,  church  services  and  all  the  rest  of  it. 
He  drives  with  eyes  and  ears  and  heart  wide  open. 
* l  Got  a  comfortable  room — a  sort  of  bedroom.  Started 
away  and  came  to  Poplar  Point,  about  sixteen  miles,  and 
then  nine  miles  farther  to  High  Bluff.  Took  dinner  at  a 
miserable  looking  place  called  a  tavern,  got  a  good  din- 
ner though,  and  I  hope  my  horse  fared  as  well."  We 
sincerely  hope  so  too.  The  true  traveller  cares  for  his 
horse,  sorry  nag  though  he  be,  for  upon  these  Western 
houseless  plains  that  horse  may  stand  between  him  and 
death  any  day.  But  this  traveller  only  thinks  that  his 
horse  means  to  him  transportation  and  that  exploration. 
"  Came  out  four  miles  farther  to  Portage  la  Prairie,  to 
the  Eev.  Mr.  Matheson's,  where  I  stayed  all  night."  Sat 
up  most  of  it  too,  without  a  doubt,  the  eager  tenderfoot, 
inquisitive,  insistent,  shrewdly  observant,  the  old  timer 
overflowing  with  information,  with  congenial  hospitality 
and  with  the  burden  of  the  West  hard  upon  him. 
"  From  this  place  to  what  is  called  the  First  Crossing  of 
the  White  Mud  Eiver  is  about  eighteen  miles,  all  prairie, 
without  house  or  tree.  The  day  was  sharp  and  the  roads 
heavy,  owing  to  a  good  deal  of  drift.  I  set  out  with  good 
heart,  with  pony  doing  but  indifferently.  Mr.  Matheson 
thought  he  would  not  get  through.  There  were  some 
oak  posts  set  up  all  along  the  road  within  every  half 
mile  not  long  ago,  but  some  miscreant  cut  down  the  most 
of  them,"  this  same  miscreant  not  unlikely  in  despera- 
tion for  firewood  upon  this  treeless  plain.  We  can  hardly 


104       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

blame  him.  "  It  is  a  great  pity,  for  it  would  be  almost 
impossible  to  find  the  road  in  a  storm  without  them.  At 
last  I  came  to  the  Crossing.  Got  dinner — a  good  one — at 
Bell's  tavern,  and  got  horse  fed  and  paid  eighty -seven 
and  a  half  cents.  Started  for  the  Second  Crossing,  and  not 
wishing  to  try  the  pony's  strength  further,  concluded 
to  stay  there  for  the  night,  which  I  did,  at  Mr. 

McR 's,  one  of  our  own  people.     This  is  about  eight 

miles  from  First  Crossing.  Started  next  morning  and  got 
to  Palestine,  eight  miles  farther,  but  through  wrong  di- 
rection it  was  at  least  eleven  miles."  And  no  small 
achievement  for  a  man  unused  to  the  plains.  For  even 
with  oak  posts,  a  drifted  trail  is  easy  to  lose. 

Thus  he  installs  himself  in  Palestine  to  put  in  as  best 
he  can  the  six  weeks'  time  till  he  gets  back  to  the  place 
properly  his  in  the  city.  They  are  the  six  weeks  of 
severest  weather  in  the  year,  and  do  what  he  will,  doubt- 
less the  time  will  seem  long.  Let  his  weekly  home  letter 
tell. 

"  Visited," — visited  !  The  word  arrests  us  with  its 
familiar  ring.  We  shall  hear  that  word  frequently  from 
his  lips.  "  I  visited  the  people."  Is  there  a  difficulty  in 
a  mission  station?  "  I  visited  the  people."  Is  there  a 
deficit  in  the  missionary's  salary?  Is  there  a  new  settle- 
ment to  be  explored  and  organized  ?  It  is  always  the 
same  phrase.  "  I  visited  the  people."  The  letter  goes 
on,  "visited  all  the  families,"  note  that  comprehensive 
adjective,  "  at  Second  Crossing  when  there — six,  and  a 
couple  of  bachelors.  All  those  do  not  belong  to  us. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  land  owned  by  our  people  there, 
and  if  the  field  is  looked  after  things  will  do  well  with  God's 
blessing.  Came  over  then  to  Pine  Creek  on  Thursday, 
found  a  young  girl  of  about  fifteen  very  ill  in  one  house. 
Doctor  over  thirty  miles  away  and  family  not  well  off." 
What  then  will  he  do  ?  He  is  a  traveller,  his  journey  is 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SUPERINTENDENT    105 

imperative.  He  is  a  minister.  Does  he  offer  spiritual 
comfort  aiid  depart,  leaving  behind  him  his  benediction  f 
No,  not  he.  This  minister  is  also  a  man,  and  so,  "  I  ad- 
vised the  mother  to  go  and  see  the  doctor  at  once,  and  not 
being  able  to  get  a  horse,  gave  them  mine.  They  were  to 
be  back  on  Saturday,  but  the  doctor  being  away,  they  re- 
turned only  on  Sabbath  at  four  o'clock,  just  in  time  for 
me  to  go  to  Pine  Creek  to  preach.  Got  another  person  to 
take  me  to  Palestine."  For  he  must  keep  his  appoint- 
ment. His  main  business  in  this  country  is  to  preach  the 
Gospel  after  all. 

As  he  visits  the  settlement  with  his  eyes  wide  open  for 
everything,  the  serious  social  and  economic  disability 
under  which  the  country  is  suffering  begins  to  attract  his 
attention,  the  deplorable  lack,  namely,  of  the  softening, 
humanizing,  prophylactic  influences  of  womankind. 

"Pine  Creek  settlement, "  he  writes,  "is  not  large, 
and  most  of  the  persons  having  claims  are  bachelors.  I 
never  knew  a  better  chance  for  old  maids — anything  will 
go  here.  Women  have  come  here  that  would  never  have 
had  an  offer  in  Canada,  and  tfiey  have  been  picked  up  in 
a  trice,  and  that  by  good-looking,  active  fellows,  one  by 
a  man  at  least  ten. years  younger.  I  wish  I  had  a  boat- 
load here,  for  they  would  soon  be  disposed  of  and  that  to 
their  own  advantage.  He  would  be  a  public  benefactor 
who  would  bring  women  here — a  benefactor  to  this  land 
and  to  that  left."  It  is  perhaps  not  unnecessary  to  ex- 
plain that  though  this  latter  observation  may  seem  to  be 
a  joke,  the  situation  in  Western  Canada  at  that  day  was 
anything  but  a  joke,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  remark  a 
wider  experience  will  only  illustrate  and  emphasize. 
More  than  once  Robertson  refers  to  this. 

In  a  later  letter  he  says,  "  There  are  quite  a  number  of 
bachelors  here.  Many  of  them  are  not  clean.  For  this  I 
make  no  excuse.  Can  you  not  get  some  hopeless  cases  of 


106       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

old  maids  coaxed  to  coine  here.  Good  chances  wait  them. 
A  man  with  a  large  family  of  girls  coming  here  would  be 
considered  a  public  benefactor.  The  bachelors  I  have 
visited  would  make  your  heart  sore  to  see  them.  Some 
of  the  men  have  been  here  a  year  or  more,  and  it  would 
not  be  true  to  say  that  a  plate,  spoon,  table,  pot,  frying- 
pan  or  anything  else  had  been  washed  since.  They  cook 
no  porridge,  but  the  layers  of  grease  and  dirt  are  inde- 
scribable." 

"But,"  for  he  is  no  matrimonial  agency,  " to  return. 
Called  on  all  the  families  but  two  bachelors.  Got  a 
Mr.  Whaley  to  take  me  to  Palestine  Saturday  night. 
Had  a  good  congregation  on  Sabbath  at  all  the  services 
and  a  good  deal  of  interest  manifested.  Hope  they  may 
continue  to  turn  out.  Announced  school  meeting  at  Pine 
Creek  and  was  persuaded  to  remain  and  help  them  start 
a  school.  Did  so,  and  we  got  all  things  arranged  to 
build  a  house  when  spring  opens.  Logs,  etc.,  are  to  be 
got  out  at  once  and  as  soon  as  it  is  possible  the  house  is 
to  be  raised  and  then  by  letting  it  in  small  jobs  it  is  to 
be  finished."  He  is  to  be  in  the  district  only  a  few 
weeks,  yet  he  seizes  the  opportunity  offering  and  guides 
the  people  in  the  organizing  and  directing  of  the  first 
school  building  that  district  has  ever  seen.  "  I  expect," 
he  continues,  "to  see  a  school  next  winter."  Next 
winter  !  What  of  Norwich  t  Unconsciously  the  coun- 
try has  claimed  him  already.  "I  am  going  to  get  one 
on  foot  here — I  helped  to  start  one  at  Second  Crossing. 
This  will  be  doing  good  as  well  as  preaching  to  the  peo- 
ple, I  hope."  Not  a  doubt  of  it,  oh,  most  valiant  son  of 
Knox!  "There  are  not  many  settlers  yet,  but  they  ex- 
pect a  good  number  in  the  spring  and  summer.  There 
are  quite  a  number  of  children  here  now,  for  all  the 
families  are  large,  and  with  those  coming  in  spring,  will 
afford  plenty  material  for  a  school  in  each  neighbour- 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SUPERINTENDENT    107 

hood."  Yes,  schools  and  plenty  of  them,  with  collegiate 
institutions  and  university  as  well,  before  your  day  is 
done ! 

He  finds  Palestine  sadly  lacking  in  organization. 
They  had  had  a  minister,  but  the  work  had  proved  too 
difficult  for  him  and  he  had  resigned.  There  was  little 
or  no  organization  of  the  work.  Eobertson  takes  hold 
with  firm  hand.  In  a  letter  to  his  wife,  under  date 
February  20th,  1874,  he  says  : 

"Have  been  making  some  arrangements  for  the  or- 
ganization of  congregations  here.  Called  the  Palestine 
congregation  together  and  had  $186  subscribed  on  the 
spot.  We  will  get  at  least  $225  at  Pine  Creek,  and  the 
Second  Crossing  of  the  White  Mud,  as  the  river  is  called, 
will  give  $100  more.  There  must  be  a  station  also,  at  the 
First  Crossing  of  the  White  Mud.  This  White  Mud  is 
a  river  that  enters  Lake  Manitoba,  and  being  very 
crooked  in  its  course,  the  road  to  the  Saskatchewan 
crosses  the  river  three  times  as  the  river  runs  from 
west  to  east. 

u  Visited  about  thirty  or  more  families  here  in  the 
three  places,  and  many  more  are  coming  in  in  the  spring. 
I  have  got  up  a  petition  and  want  to  take  it  down  to 
Winnipeg  to  the  meeting  of  Presbytery  so  as  to  have 
them  organize  at  once.  We  must  send  here  with  them  a 
good  minister,  if  possible,  else  the  cause  will  suffer. 
Should  such  a  minister  be  here,  I  am  inclined  to  think 
our  cause  would  soon  be  strong  and  that  the  church 
would  be  self-sustaining.  The  families  are  widely  scat- 
tered just  now,  but  soon  the  spaces  will  be  filled.  Many 
of  the  people  are  poor  yet,  but  a  few  years  must  make  a 
change." 

He  sees  clearly  even  now  and  later  years  only  make  his 
vision  the  clearer,  that  the  great  essential  for  successful 
missionary  work  is  permanent  organization  with  a  good 


108       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

minister  in  charge.  Oh,  if  only  a  good  minister,  that 
ram  avis,  could  be  discovered  and  be  persuaded  to  give 
himself  to  the  cause  in  such  a  spot !  There  is  growing 
up  in  his  heart  a  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  country 
and  a  loyalty  to  the  cause  hitherto  unknown  to  him.  In 
the  same  letter  occurs  another  word  of  significance  and 
prophetic  import : 

"I  wrote  a  letter  to  the  congregation  in  Norwich,  and 
so  you  had  better  go  down  at  once  and  get  a  reading  of 
it  or  hear  it  read.  It  is  in  connection  with  mission  work 

here.  I  wrote  one  to  Mr.  B and  also  to  Mr.  D . 

I  am  going  to  write  to  Mr.  McK to-day,  and  to 

others.  I  think  I  must  write  a  letter  to  Mr.  M and 

a  few  others. "  He  finds  time  amid  his  many  and  press- 
ing activities,  to  write  a  formal  letter  to  his  congregation 
as  well  as  some  half  dozen  others  to  friends,  giving 
pictures  of  the  country,  of  its  needs  and  its  opportunities. 
This  is  the  beginning  of  a  habit  that  will  grow  upon  him 
year  by  year,  a  habit  fraught  with  tremendous  results 
both  to  country  and  to  Church,  but  a  habit  that  will  rob 
him  of  many  hours  of  sleep  and  will  do  much  to  rob  the 
Church  of  years  of  his  service. 

He  is  greatly  impressed  with  the  country,  and  takes 
pains  to  acquaint  himself  with  its  resources,  the  experi- 
ences of  the  settlers,  their  prospects  for  the  future.  He 
writes: 

"  I  could  wish  that  all  my  brothers  were  settled  here  on 
320  or  640  acres  of  land.  I  am  half  in  the  notion  of 
coming  out  here  myself.  It  is  a  much  better  country  for 
a  poor  man  than  Ontario.  We  could  take  up  land  for 
our  children  and  keep  them  with  us  here  much  better 
than  in  Canada, "  (in  Canada,  note)  "arid  when  they 
would  grow  up  we  would  be  in  better  circumstances  to 
give  them  a  good  education.  What  do  you  say  t  I  am 
anxious  to  take  up  some  land,  at  any  rate,  and  wish  I 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SUPERINTENDENT     109 

could  invest  a  few  thousand  dollars."  He  is  too  much  a 
Scot,  too  sensible  a  man  and  too  good  a  Christian  to  fail 
to  lay  plans  whereby  he  should  be  able  to  provide  for  his 
own.  Ah,  if  he  only  could  get  a  few  thousand  dollars ! 
But  so  far  during  the  years  of  his  ministry  at  Norwich, 
plain  in  his  living  as  he  is,  and  thrifty  as  his  wife  may 
be,  they  have  been  able  to  save,  as  he  tells  us  in  another 
place,  at  the  utmost  only  one  thousand  dollars.  That  he 
could  save  as  much  is  greatly  to  his  credit.  It  were  well 
that  he  should  invest  this  now.  His  chance  will  never 
be  better,  and  in  the  future  there  will  be  too  many  needy 
missionaries  and  missions  to  permit  the  accumulation  of 
many  thousands.  "  Just  now,"  he  continues,  "  there  is 
a  good  chance,  but  next  summer  hundreds,  yes.  thousands, 
will  come  in  here  and  get  as  good  claims  as  they  can. 
There  is  plenty  of  open  prairie,  but  for  a  short  time  there 
must  be  good  land  along  the  rivers.  .  .  .  The  coun- 
try is  much  better  than  people  in  Ontario  think.  If  a 
person  can  buy  a  claim  along  a  river  where  there  is  a 
good  deal  of  wood,  he  is  much  more  comfortable  than 
even  in  Ontario  during  winter.  I  think  I  never  enjoyed 
a  winter  better  than  this  one.  Grain  may,  nay,  will  not, 
sell  at  so  high  a  figure  as  in  Ontario,  but  it  will  pay  as 
well  because  you  can  raise  it  more  easily.  Stock,  like- 
wise, can  be  much  more  easily  raised,  and  hence  must 
pay  well.  Milk,  I  am  told,  is  much  richer  than  in 
Canada.  You  can  make  much  more  butter  from  a  cow 
than  in  Ontario.  To  a  poor  man  this  is  a  much  better 
country.  To  all  sober,  industrious  men  this  land  will  be 
a  boon. 

"I  have  visited  a  good  many  of  the  people  and  have 
inquired  about  how  they  like  the  country,  and  find  al- 
most universal  satisfaction.  None  of  those  with  whom  I 
met  would  return  to  Canada.  There  is  no  wealth  here, 
but  men  in  a  few  years  will  be  comfortable.  Things 


110       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

must  be  rude  and  not  very  pleasant  for  a  time,  but  that  is 
always  the  case  in  a  new  country.  Time  will  effect  a 
great  change.  I  have  been  saying  that  in  two  or  three 
years,  if  spared,  we  must  conie  West  here,  at  any  rate  to  see 
the  country.  It  would  be  quite  a  sight  to  see  miles  of 
roses — rose-bushes  in  bloom — to  see  the  prairie  for  miles, 
as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  sometimes,  in  bloom.  One 
crop  of  flowers  succeeds  another,  and  it  is  only  the 
winter's  frost  that  puts  an  end  to  this  luxuriant  herbage. 
For  ages  this  has  gone  on  one  year  after  another,  and  I 
have  often  imagined  how  the  land  of  prairie  chickens, 
geese  and  ducks  and  all  kinds  of  fowl,  of  buffalo  and 
deer,  has  for  ages  been  kept  till  man  should  come  and  by 
the  plough  claim  it  for  his  own.  The  wonderful  provi- 
sion of  the  Creator  in  this  respect  often  claims  serious 
thought.  Here  a  hardy  race  must  spring  up,  a  race  to 
play  an  important  part  in  future." 

Later  on  he  finds  opportunities  for  investing  which, 
with  faith  in  the  future  of  the  country,  he  embraces. 

"  I  wrote  you  a  note  on  Saturday  which  I  hope  you  will 
receive  in  due  time.  I  stated  there  that  I  had  purchased 
land,  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  ...  I  purchased 
now  because  in  this  country  wood  and  water  are  of  great 
importance,  and  there  is  for  that  lot  plenty  of  both.  The 
wood  here  affords  splendid  shelter.  I  paid,  as  I  told  you, 
$155  for  the  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  I  bought  a 
volunteer  warrant  and  put  that  on  the  lot  and  thus  saved 
five  dollars.  All  the  volunteers  that  came  up  here  got  a 
warrant  from  the  Canadian  Government  entitling  them  to 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  They  could  locate 
there  wherever  they  liked.  Instead  of  locating  them, 
many  sold  them  for  forty  or  fifty  dollars  at  first.  But 
owing  to  the  greater  number  of  people  coming  into  the 
country,  and  the  fact  that  the  Government  will  not  sell 
more  than  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  to  any  one  man, 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SUPERINTENDENT    111 

these  warrants  have  risen  in  value.  ...  I  have  re- 
served the  right  of  buying  from  Government  at  any  rate 
six  hundred  and  forty  acres  after  this  if  I  please. 

i  i  I  am  going  to  look  about  while  I  am  here  and  try  and 
invest  the  little  I  can  command  for  future  use.  I  do  not 
know  how  much  I  can  command  after  paying  expenses,  but 
think  we  might  invest  in  all  about  one  thousand  dollars. 
.  .  .  There  are  no  municipal  taxes  or  anything  of  the 
kind  just  now,  and  I  do  not  think  there  will  be  much  of 
that  kind  for  years  to  come.  There  will,  of  course,  be 
school  tax,  but  what  amount  I  do  not  know.  I  think, 
however,  that  there  will  be  no  such  tax  as  in  Canada. 
For  school  purposes  I  am  willing  to  help.  ...  I 
might  say  that  there  are  not  many  settlers  here  yet.  The 
population  of  the  province,  exclusive  of  Indians,  is  not 
more  than  fifteen  thousand.  The  Canadians  are  in  a  few 
settlements,  mostly  Sunny  side  and  Springfield,  Bock- 
wood,  Portage  la  Prairie,  Burnside,  High  Bluff,  Palestine, 
etc.  A  large  number  are  expected  next  summer,  how- 
ever, and  a  good  deal  of  land  near  us  will  be  taken  up. 
If  I  wish  to  sell  in  five  years,  I  expect,  at  the  least  cal- 
culation, to  double  my  investment.  But  as  I  jokingly 
told  you  in  my  last  letter,  I  think  we  shall  all  move  out 
here  yet.  I  have  enjoyed  myself  a  good  deal  this  winter, 
and  think  that  I  could  live  happily  here.  There  is  a 
much  better  chance  for  a  poor  man — and  who  poorer  than 
a  minister — to  get  along.  The  only  thing  wanting  is  a 
railway,  and  that  must  come  before  long.  It  is  true  peo- 
ple cannot  get  such  a  price  for  wheat  here,  but  they  can 
raise  more  of  it  and  easier,  and  that  will  make  up  for  the 
price.  But  I  think  I  must  write  a  few  letters  for  one  of 
your  Woodstock  papers,  and  then  you  can  have  my  views 
more  in  detail." 

Like  many  another  investor  of  that  period,  he  had  to 
wait  for  many  years  for  the  profits  from  these  invest- 


112       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

ments.  But  before  many  years  have  passed  he  will  have 
forgotten  all  about  investments  in  land. 

During  this  Palestine  pastorate  of  six  weeks  he  is  con- 
tinually storing  up  and  cataloguing  a  vast  amount  of  varied 
information  that  will  serve  as  fuel  for  the  fires  of  his  own 
enthusiasm  and  will  serve  to  kindle  those  same  fires  in 
others  as  well.  Difficulties  and  privations  he  meets  with, 
of  course,  but  those  disturb  him  not.  His  philosophic 
temper  and  his  quick  sense  of  humour  carry  him  through 
everything  with  a  shrug  and  a  smile.  The  following  ex- 
perience will  recall  to  the  early  missionaries  and  settlers 
of  the  West  many  of  a  similar  kind. 

"I  have  had  some  rough  experience.  Have  been 
boarding  in  a  place  in  which  there  is  but  one  room.  It  is 
not  easy  to  rise  or  go  to  bed  comfortably.  Manage  to 
make  a  screen  of  my  coat  and  vest  on  the  back  of  a  chair 
while  I  get  off  my  pants  and  go  to  bed.  It  is  rather 
amusing,  but  what  can  you  do  f  People  are  up  before  me 
in  the  morning,  and  I  avail  myself  of  the  wife  going  out 
after  water,  etc.,  to  spring  out  of  bed  and  get  dressed. 
They  sleep  upstairs,  but  how  they  keep  from  coming 
through  the  floor  is  more  than  I  know.  They  are  very 
kind,  and  are  very  much  afraid  I  may  take  cold  in  their 
not  very  warm  house.  You  would  laugh  to  see  the  wife 
coming  to  stuff  the  clothes  around  my  back  before  going 
to  sleep  herself,  when  she  thinks  I  am  asleep  and  not  well 
covered.  They  are  from  the  '  Island  of  Prince  Edward/ 
as  they  call  it,  and  are  of  Celtic  origin."  In  return  for 
which  kindness  he  gives  his  Highland  hostess  from  the 
"Island  of  Prince  Edward"  some  much  needed  lessons 
in  the  art  of  preparing  the  roast  of  beef  for  the  fire  and 
in  the  cooking  of  the  same.  Experiences  of  another  kind 
he  has  as  well,  more  exciting  than  pleasant.  "  We  had 
considerable  trouble  at  election.  Free  fight.  One  man 
stabbed,  but  heds  getting  better.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SUPERINTENDENT    113 

our  Canadian  people  are  more  to  blame  than  the  half- 
breeds." 

But  the  time  is  wearing  on.  The  congregation  at 
Palestine  and  the  other  stations  are  growing  rapidly. 
The  services  are  well  attended  though  held  under  dis- 
couraging circumstances,  but  these  will  disappear. 

"The  roads  between  the  stations  are  not  good.  I 
have  to  break  a  road  every  Sabbath.  There  is  no  team- 
ing that  way.  The  driving,  however,  does  not  appear  to 
hurt  me  in  any  way.  I  have  never  felt  better.  Our 
meetings  are  all  held  in  private  houses,  and  often  we  can 
scarcely  accommodate  those  who  come.  Last  Sabbath  the 
people  had  to  go  on  beds,  etc.,  to  make  room.  Soon 
schoolhouses  will  be  available  for  service  and  churches 
will  be  erected." 

He  is  due  in  Winnipeg  about  the  middle  of  March  and, 
consequently,  he  arranges  that  his  hundred  mile  drive 
shall  become  a  missionary  tour — his  first  in  the  country. 
So: 

"  Next  Monday  I  go  away  to  Portage  la  trairie.  I  am 
going  to  preach  at  the  First  Crossing  on  Monday  night  on 
my  way  down.  I  did  not  hear  from  Matheson,  but  ex- 
pect he  will  be  here  the  Sabbath  following.  I  go  away 
from  the  First  Crossing  on  Tuesday  morning  and  go  to 

Eat  Creek  to  Mr.  McK >s.  Go  from  there  to  the 

Portage  the  next  day  and  attend  a  missionary  meeting 
there  and  in  High  Bluff  the  day  following.  The  Monday 
following  I  go  away  to  Winnipeg,  which  I  expect  to 
reach  on  Tuesday  evening  or  Wednesday  morning."  A 
not  inconsiderable  programme  this,  for  the  blizzard  season, 
over  trails  unmarked  for  the  most  part  and  drifted,  and 
that  old  nag  none  too  reassuring  in  his  powers  of  endur- 
ance. "On  the  whole,"  he  concludes,  "I  am  glad  I 
came  up  here  to  encourage  and  get  the  people  to  take 
active  measures  for  organization." 


in       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  EOBERTSON 

The  superintendent  is  by  no  means  yet  made.  But 
there  is  a  beginning  of  that  in  him  which  will  never  die 
and  which,  through  the  grace  of  God  working  in  the 
heart  of  him  together  with  the  daily  experience  which 
will  be  his,  of  the  needs  and  opportunities  of  this  new 
land,  will  shape  him  for  this  high  place  and  for  great 
work. 


XIV 

A  WINNIPEG  EXPERIMENT 

THESE  were  the  ante-union  days.  Negotiations 
for  union  were  being  carried  on  between  the 
Church  of  Scotland  in  Canada,  popularly  known 
as  the  Kirk,  and  the  Canada  Presbyterian  Church.  The 
issue  was  still  doubtful,  and  for  all  who  were  desirous  of 
seeing  one  great  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  Dominion, 
it  was  a  time  of  great  anxiety.  As  is  almost  always  the 
case,  the  danger  to  the  cause  of  union  and  the  delay  in 
its  consummation  arose  not  so  much  from  essential  differ- 
ences in  foundation  principles,  but  from  local  and  often 
personal  rivalries  and  jealousies,  the  very  existence  of 
which  was  one  of  the  strongest  arguments  for  union. 
Throughout  the  whole  of  Canada  the  greatest  interest  was 
taken  by  Presbyterians  in  the  discussions,  and  in  many 
places  intense  feeling  was  aroused.  This  was  true  of  the 
congregation  of  Knox  Church,  in  far-away  Winnipeg. 
Here,  though  the  congregation  had  been  formally  re- 
ceived by  the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba  and  was,  therefore, 
a  congregation  of  the  Canada  Presbyterian  Church,  there 
was  a  very  influential  portion  of  the  congregation  ad- 
hering to  the  Kirk  who  naturally  were  anxious  to  secure 
the  greatest  advantage  possible  for  their  own  party.  The 
result  was  strife  which  only  became  more  bitter  as  the 
congregation  grew  in  strength  by  accessions  from  the 
East,  and  as  the  prospects  of  union  became  more  and 
more  cloudy. 

With  the  congregation  in  this  condition,  Mr.  Eobert- 
son  took  charge.  It  was  a  situation  requiring  the  guiding 
of  a  man  of  strong  common  sense,  of  fairness,  and  of  a  high 

115 


116       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

sense  of  duty.  And  it  is  no  small  tribute  to  Mr.  Robert- 
son that  he  was  not  found  wanting.  He  takes  his  wife 
into  his  confidence  in  regard  to  affairs  in  the  congrega- 
tion as  follows  : 

"  Things  here  are  not  in  a  good  state.  The  two  parties 
in  the  church  are  quite  distinct,  and  they  are  likely  to 
continue  so,  as  far  as  I  can  judge.  They  have  been  jeal- 
ous of  each  other  all  along,  and  the  prospect  of  a  failure 
of  union  in  June  is  having  an  influence  just  now.  I  am 
afraid  that  both  parties  were  for  union  on  the  condition 
that  things  should  be  more  or  less  in  their  own  hands. 
It  was  perhaps  unfortunate  that  four-fifths  of  the  congre- 
gation should  be  Canada  Presbyterians  and  the  remain- 
ing part  only  belonging  to  the  Kirk,  but  so  it  is.  The 
most  of  the  Kirk  party  are  men  of  influence  and  respecta- 
bility, while  the  other  party,  although  having  several 
men  of  wealth  and  high  social  standing,  are  more  or  less 
socially  below  them.  This  has  had  its  influence.  It 
became  with  the  Kirk  party  a  question  of  patronage 
because  of  their  position,  etc.,  and  to  this  the  other  would 
not  submit.  It  looked  as  if  the  former  were  saying,  i  We 
will  give  respectability  and  social  standing  to  the  church, 
we  will  give  considerable  cash,  too,  but  you  must  let  us 
have  things  our  own  way,  and  get  our  minister  in  the 
church. '  The  other  party  could  not  be  expected  to  do 
that,  and  here  they  took  issue.  I  believe  this  question 
has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  present  state  of  things. 

"Some  time  ago  elders  were  chosen,  and  organization 
was  asked  and  granted  by  the  Manitoba  Presbytery. 
This  gave  offense,  because  by  this  action  the  congrega- 
tion became  connected  with  the  Canada  Presbyterian 
Church.  The  Old  Kirk  party  could  not  accept  office  as 
elders  because  to  do  so,  since  the  church  is  in  connection 
with  the  Canada  Presbyterian  Church,  they  must  join 
that  Church.  This  they  could  not  do.  The  congregation 


A  WINNIPEG  EXPERIMENT  117 

drew  up  a  constitution  and  came  to  presbytery  to  sanc- 
tion it.  Presbytery  did  so,  and  this  again  was  another 
grievance.  Dr.  Clark  then  was  sent  for  by  the  Kirk 
party  in  a  quiet  way,  to  come  up  here  and  it  was  sup- 
posed that  in  the  general  chaos  he  would  be  elected  pas- 
tor, because  supposed  to  be  superior  to  anything  here. 
This,  too,  failed.  Then  again  Dr.  Clark  was  sent  away 
and  I  was  taken  in  here  to  preach.  I  told  them  that  I 
was  not  a  candidate  present  or  prospective  for  the  pulpit, 
and  that  if  they  gave  a  call  to  Dr.  Clark  or  anybody  else, 
I  was  prepared  to  resign  my  position  to-morrow,  but  that 
I  would  and  could  not  in  deference  to  anybody,  give 
Dr.  Clark  the  pulpit  now.  I  came  here  to  supply  the 
pulpit  and  no  other  did  so,  at  the  request  of  the  congre- 
gation, at  personal  sacrifice — congregational  and  family 
sacrifice — and  if  they  would  not  agree  to  fulfill  their  part 
of  the  arrangement.  I  would  at  once  go  away — I  represent 
the  Church  in  Canada  and  could  not  yield  to  Old  Kirk 
or  any  other. 

"  The  whole  of  the  Canada  Presbyterian  people  are  of 
one  mind  in  having  me  here.  The  Governor  and  the 
other  party  come  to  church  regularly,  and  I  am  on  good 
terms  with  them.  I  am  only  blamed,  I  suppose,  because 
I  happen  to  be  acceptable  as  a  preacher.  It  is  exceed- 
ingly unpleasant,  but  I  suppose  I  must  make  the  best 
of  it." 

Sensible  man  he  is,  but  none  the  less  is  the  situation 
vexing  to  his  soul.  Through  the  weeks  that  follow  the 
unhappy  squabble  goes  on.  Meantime,  the  congregations 
are  growing  in  numbers  and  the  services  in  interest,  so 
he  wisely  resolves  to  keep  out  of  the  trouble  and  let  the 
parties  fight  out  their  foolish  petty  fight  between  them- 
selves. And  indeed,  there  is  no  need  for  him  to  interfere, 
for  both  parties  appear  to  be  under  sufficiently  able 
generalship. 


118        THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"I  am  happily  not  in  the  matter  at  all,"  he  writes 
under  date  April  30th,  1874.  "  The  difficulty  is  between 

themselves  and  Professor  B .  He  has  been  working 

in  the  interests  of  our  Church,  as  he  ought,  but  still  for 
the  common  good.  The  other  party  thought  he  was  do- 
ing for  the  Canada  Presbyterian  Church  altogether. 
Hence,  everything  was  looked  on  with  suspicion."  It 
was  a  condition  fruitful  in  mutual  misunderstanding, 
the  most  innocent  deeds  and  words  being  misinterpreted, 
as  witness,  "The  late  trouble  was  with  Dr.  Clark.  It 

appears  that  Professor  B in  speaking  to  Dr.  Clark, 

said  that  if  this  contention  and  strife  were  to  continue, 
that  if  there  was  no  way  of  peace,  it  was  the  opinion  of 
some  men  in  the  congregation  that  it  would  be  better  to 
separate.  The  Doctor  then  asked  who  they  were  that 

would  be  apt  to  go.  Professor  B replied  that  he 

did  not  now  know,  he  only  knew  those  who  were  Old 
Kirk  in  their  antecedents.  This  was  only  what  any 
person  might  have  said.  The  construction  put  on  his 
words  is,  that  the  Canada  Presbyterian  Church  party 
wish  the  others  to  leave  the  church,  which  is  quite 
another  matter.  Feeling  has  run  high  about  this  whole 
matter  for  a  week  or  two  ;  now  all  other  grievances  are 
not  thought  of  in  comparison  with  this  last.  I  do  not 
think  they  will  go  off. 

u  I  am  personally  and  as  a  preacher  not  in  the  case  at 

all.  I  understand  that  even  Mr.  McM who  is  the 

head  of  the  other  party,  speaks  very  favourably  of  my 
preaching.  Governor  Morris  still  attends.  He  was 
there  last  Sabbath  and  I  had  quite  a  chat  with  him  after 
service  was  over.  He  appears  to  be  a  quiet  nice  man. 
If  he  was  alone  there  would  be  no  trouble.  It  is  a  great 
pity  Dr.  Clark  is  here  at  all."  With  which  all  will  de- 
voutly agree. 


XV 

A  MISSIONARY  MINISTER 

FULLY  occupied  though  he  is  with  his  congrega- 
tion, he  never  loses  his  touch  with  the  mission 
work  in  the  new  country.  On  his  return  from 
Palestine  he  makes  his  report  to  Presbytery  in  regard  to 
his  experience  while  West.  He  carries  with  him  a  peti- 
tion from  the  Palestine  congregation  signed  by  over  eighty 
people,  asking  for  organization,  and  promising  three 
hundred  dollars  for  the  first  year,  should  they  get  a  min- 
ister. The  fathers  and  brethren  listen  amazed  to  his 
story.  The  extraordinary  vigour  of  the  man,  his  re- 
sourcefulness, his  promptitude  in  seizing  the  favourable 
opportunity  and  in  getting  things  done,  impresses  them 
much.  He  has  been  in  the  country  less  than  three  months 
and  yet  during  that  short  period  he  has  firmly  gripped 
the  mission  situation  and  has  gathered  such  a  store  of 
facts  about  the  country  and  the  people  as  to  astonish 
those  who  have  been  there  years  before  him.  And  no 
wonder,  for  they  have  each  been  so  heavily  burdened  with 
their  own  immediate  labours  that  they  have  allowed  a  new 
world  to  grow  up  about  them  of  which  they  have  only  the 
vaguest  knowledge. 

The  Presbytery  granted  the  petition  from  Palestine, 
erecting  it  into  a  supplemented  congregation  and  by  a 
formal  vote,  recorded  its  appreciation  of  the  efficient 
service  rendered. 

"And  to  reward  me,"  he  writes,  "sent  me  back  to 
Portage  la  Prairie,  High  Bluff  and  Burnside,  to  try  and 
organize  there.  Ministers  here  apparently  are  afraid  of 

119 


120       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  EOBERTSON 

speaking  of  money  to  the  people,  and  I  am  supposed  to 
have  cheek  for  any  business  of  that  kind.  Mr.  Matheson, 
their  own  minister,  and  Mr.  Fraser  are  to  be  there,  but  it- 
appears  that  I  am  to  have  charge  of  the  money.  I  go 
away  to-morrow  morning  and  am  to  be  back  for  next 
Sabbath." 

The  story  of  that  trip  he  shares,  as  he  shares  all  his  ex- 
periences, with  his  wife.  The  letter  is  dated  from  Win- 
nipeg, March  16th,  1874  : 

"  MY  DEAR  MARY  ANNE  :  — 

"  When  I  wrote  last  week  I  told  you  I  was  going 
away  to  the  West  as  far  as  Burnside,  by  appointment  of 
presbytery,  to  hold  meetings  in  reference  to  their  petition 
for  ordained  supply.  We  left  here  Tuesday  morning, 
Mr.  Fraser  and  myself,  with  a  snail-paced  horse.  Got  as 
far  as  White  Horse  Plains,  twenty-six  miles  from  Winni- 
peg. The  day  was  clear  but  frosty  and  we  got  on  well. 
Next  day  we  stopped  at  a  tavern  to  water  Mr.  Fraser' s 
horse.  I  went  into  the  supposed  barroom  to  warm. 
Found  at  the  door  quite  a  strong  smell — saw  a  stove  and 
a  couple  of  calves  warming  themselves  at  it — milk  pails 
and  a  general  litter  on  the  table.  Faced  left  about  and 
saw  another  calf  at  the  foot  of  a  flight  of  stairs  with  a  lit- 
ter of  straw,  and  thought  I  was  there  long  enough  and  had 
seen  enough.  Mr.  Fraser  comes  in  after  me,  takes  in  the 
whole  situation  at  once.  A  door  opens  at  the  rear  of 
calf-parlour  and  the  kitchen  stove  is  seen  in  full  blast. 
The  host  informs  us  that  he  entertains  bovine  and  not 
human  guests  for  the  present,  and  we  leave,  ruminating 
over  the  beauties  of  prairie  scenery.  Got  dinner  in  good 
style  at  Poplar  Point,  about  seventeen  miles  from  any 
houses.  Charley  was  fed  some  barley  but  did  not  eat  it. 
Felt  afraid  he  was  going  to  give  out,  but  he  did  very  well. 
Bather  an  amusing  incident  occurred.  We  both  got  out 


A  MISSIONARY  MINISTER  121 

of  the  cariole  and  let  the  horse  go  ou.  He  walked  slowly, 
and  when  we  came  up  to  him  we  gave  him  two  or  three 
cuts  and  sent  him  on  his  way  rejoicing.  This  was  done 
several  times,  the  horse  trotting  away  for  some  distance 
and  then  slackening  till  we  overtook  him.  At  last  when 
he  would  see  us  coming  near  he  would  run  off  before  we 
got  up  to  him.  Finally,  we  got  tired  and  wanted  to  ride, 
but  Charley  felt  shy,  and  when  we  called  Whoa,  he  would 
dart  off  and  leave  us  behind.  This  was  very  amusing  for 
a  time,  but  when  we  began  to  contemplate  walking  all  the 
way  it  was  serious.  We  stole  up  quietly  behind  Charley, 
and  before  he  saw,  Mr.  Fraser  got  so  near  that  although 
Charley  started  off,  Mr.  Fraser  got  a  hold  of  the  cariole 
behind.  After  some  running,  he  managed  to  leap  on 
board  and  stopped  him. 

"  We  got  to  Poplar  Point  in  good  time,  got  tea  at  Mr. 

F 's  brother's  and  went  away  to  the  meeting.     They 

had  got  it  announced  that  I  was  going  to  preach,  and  we 
found  a  good  congregation  gathered.  Told  Mr.  Fraser 
that  Presbytery  had  sent  us  on  a  purely  business  errand, 
bat  that  I  would  preach  if  so  announced.  Did  so  and 
held  a  meeting  after  to  see  what  they  would  give  if  they 
got  service  every  Sabbath  instead  of  every  alternate  Sab- 
bath." He  is  instinctively  finding  his  way.  This 
method  of  mingling  business  and  preaching  he  will  prove 
during  many  years  of  experiment,  to  be  sound  and  profit- 
able. First  he  will  hold  up  to  men's  wonder  and  grati- 
tude the  marvellous  benefits  of  the  Gospel,  then  call  upon 
their  loyalty  in  its  support.  And  wherever  the  Gospel 
has  found  a  home  in  the  heart,  there  the  call  will  never 
fail  of  response.  "  We  got  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
subscribed,  and  some  three  heads  of  families  yet  to  see. 
This  is  about  double  of  what  we  got  last  year.  Had  meet- 
ing at  Portage  la  Prairie  Thursday  forenoon  and  had 
elders  to  ordain.  Preached  and  addressed  elders,  and 


122       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Mr.  Fraser  the  people.  Held  other  meeting  after  and  ex- 
plained the  whole  case  to  people.  Got  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  subscribed,  and  this  will  be  made  up  to  two 
hundred  dollars  at  least.  Went  back  to  Mr.  Matheson's 

(Mr.  M is  missionary  here)  for  dinner  and  went  to 

Burnside  for  the  evening.     Had  a  good  meeting.     Got 

Mr.  F coaxed  to  preach  as  I  did  not  wish  to  do  all 

the  work.  He  consented  on  the  understanding  that  I 
would  do  all  the  money  talk.  We  got  one  hundred  and 
twenty-one  dollars,  with  the  prospect  of  one  hundred  dol- 
lars more.  Think  we  will  get  about  five  hundred  and 
sixty  dollars.  This  where  only  two  hundred  and  eighty 
dollars  at  most,  was  promised  (promised  but  not  yet 
paid)  last  year.  This  year  only  some  five  hundred  dol- 
lars all  told  given  to  missions.  That  Western  field  will  it- 
self with  Palestine  give  nine  hundred  dollars,  not  to  speak 
of  Springfield  and  Suunyside,  Rockwood,  Little  Britain, 
Headingly,  etc."  To  persuade  people  in  their  circum- 
stances to  increase  their  giviugs  from  $280  to  $560  is  a 
good  bit  of  work  well  done,  for  money  is  scarce  as  yet  in 
the  country  and  with  many  the  church  is  the  last  thing 
paid  for.  The  fire,  however,  is  burning  in  his  own 
heart.  He  does  not  blame  the  people  so  much.  They 
are  not  ungenerous.  They  are  poor  enough,  and  they 
have  not  yet  caught  the  glow  of  missionary  enterprise. 
The  great  need  as  he  sees  it  is  that  of  leadership.  "  The 
great  difficulty  is  the  sort  of  men  they  have  here.  There 
is  no  push,  no  system.  Men  are  men  of  small  ideas  and 
little  zeal.  I  do  hope  they  may  get  some  vigorous  man 
to  take  hold  in  Winnipeg  and  work  up  the  whole  prov- 
ince. ...  I  sometimes  get  out  of  patience  with  some 
of  the  men  here.  The  Church  has  lost  a  great  deal  by  not 
having  the  right  material  in  the  field.  I  have  written 
privately  to  Mr.  Cochrane  about  the  whole  matter."  We 
should  much  like  to  have  a  reading  of  that  letter,  for  he 


A  MISSIONARY  MINISTER  123 

has  a  fine  gift  of  descriptive  phrases  in  such  cases.  More 
and  more  he  is  beginning  to  feel  the  pull  of  this  magnifi- 
cent work.  i  l  People  wish  me  to  take  some  Western  field. 
What  would  you  say  to  High  Bluff  or  Portage  la  Prairie 
or  Palestine  ?  Should  I  come,  one  man  says  he  will  give 
fifty  dollars.  He  now  gives  twenty-five  dollars.  An- 
other will  give  twenty-five  dollars  who  gives  five  dol- 
lars now.  How  would  you  like  to  be  out  on  the 
prairie  or  on  the  lee  side  of  a  poplar  bluff?  I  told  every- 
body that  I  had  a  congregation  at  home  and  could  think 
of  nothing  but  them  now."  This  last  we  venture  to 
doubt.  He  is  loyal  to  his  congregation,  ,but  mighty 
thoughts  are  moving  beneath  that  bit  of  pleasant  sugges- 
tion to  his  wife  whose  heart  will  beat  the  quicker  with 
premonitory  fears  as  she  reads. 

Finishing  his  work,  he  goes  back  to  Winnipeg,  but 
not  without  incident  through  which  his  sense  of  humour 
sustains  him. 

"  Got  a  man  to  take  me  down  to  Poplar  Point  Friday, 
so  that  I  might  come  with  the  mail  Saturday.  Got  down 
in  good  time.  Very  stormy  through  night.  Up  at 
3:15  A.  M.,  stopped  at  mail  driver's  house.  Had  a 
shake-down  on  floor — he  on  spree  night  before.  Got 
up  at  3  : 15 — thought  he  was  to  get  ready,  and  I  got  up 
and  dressed.  He  went  to  bed  again  and  there  I  was. 
Got  a  fire  on  and  after  some  time  wife,  etc.,  got  up  and 
got  breakfast.  At  daylight  we  got  off.  Wind  blew 
furiously  and  snow  drifted  badly.  Crossed  over  large 
prairies  but  did  not  find  it  difficult  to  go.  Changed 
horses  twice  and  got  to  Winnipeg  at  2  p.  M.,  forty-two 
miles,  tired  out."  And  small  wonder,  poor  soul,  and 
with  the  duties  of  the  morrow  waiting  him  which  he 
discharges  as  follows :  "  Preached  yesterday — twice 
here  and  in  the  afternoon  at  Kildonan  for  Mr.  Black. 
Congregations  very  good." 


124:       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

Now  he  must  buckle  down  to  his  congregational  work 
which  sadly  wants  doing,  so  he  congratulates  himself : 
' 1 1  have  no  more  work  to  do  outside  now  than  what  I 
may  do  of  my  own  accord— at  least  I  think  so."  Let 
us  hope  so  indeed.  But  from  the  little  we  have  seen  we 
may  not  be  blamed  if  we  ask  leave  to  doubt. 

With  all  energy  he  throws  himself  into  his  congrega- 
tional work,  but  through  it  all  he  is  conscious  that  this 
wretched  bickering  of  the  two  parties,  stand  aloof  as  he 
will,  chills  his  spirit  and  hampers  him  in  his  ministerial 
labours.  He  has  never  yet  preached  with  his  accustomed 
freedom,  but  he  will  continue  to  do  his  best. 

"  I  am  going  to  undertake  visitation  as  soon  as  possible. 
I  think  we  will  take  two  or  three  families  every  evening 

as  we  can.  Hope  to  get  Mr.  McV or  some  other  of 

the  elders  with  me.  We  have  a  prayer-meeting  on 
Wednesday  and  I  take  charge.  Young  men's  class  in 
the  Sabbath-school  I  conduct  too.  Plenty  of  work  for 
me  to  do  all  the  time  I  am  here,  but  must  do  the  best  I 
can  with  it.  I  felt  very  much  the  difficulty  here  of 
which  I  heard  nothing  till  I  came.  Hope  for  the  best, 
but  do  not  expect  that  the  Old  Kirk  party  and  our 
people  will  ever  get  on  well  here.77  And  so  through  the 
spring  months  he  toils  away  at  his  preaching  and  his 
visitations,  his  classes  and  his  meetings.  But  deep 
as  he  gets  into  his  congregational  work,  he  has  ever  an 
eye  for  the  larger  movements  in  the  Church  and  the 
country  about  him. 

On  the  30th  of  April  he  writes  to  his  wife,  with  whom 
he  shares  his  every  experience  : 

"  Bryce  and  myself  got  up  a  Home  Mission  scheme  and 
presented  it  to  Presbytery.  Till  that  time  Fraser  goes 
west  to  Portage  la  Prairie,  Mr.  McKellar  goes  to  Pales- 
tine, Currie  to  Eockwood,  Vincent  to  Pembina  and 
Emerson  settlements.  Mr.  Fraser  is  to  moderate  in  a 


A  MISSIONARY  MINISTER  125 

call  to  Palestine  in  June  and  Donaldson  in  Portage  la 
Prairie.  I  got  my  plan  carried  out  in  dividing  this 
field,  and  I  hope  that  Matheson  will  be  called  and  settled 
here  at  once  when  he  comes  back.  Palestine  people  think 
of  calling  Mr.  Ferguson  of  Glenniorris.  Things  are  mov- 
ing on  energetically  and  if  some  push  was  manifested, 
we  would  soon  take  a  leading  part."  Energetically 
enough  if  only  one  could  be  found  to  pour  the  hot  fire  of 
this  man's  enthusiasm  into  scheme,  system  or  plan.  One 
wonders  how  the  fathers  and  brethren  of  the  Presbytery 
regard  this  arranging  and  rearranging  of  fields,  this  call- 
ing and  settling  of  men.  Do  they  realize  what  is  happen- 
ing? Doubtless  some  do  and  the  nobler  souls  are  re- 
joicing. But  have  a  care,  young  man,  you  are  very 
considerable  of  a  tenderfoot  as  yet ! 

The  country,  with  its  present  needs  and  its  prospects, 
ever  stirs  his  eager  interest. 

"I  am  afraid,"  he  writes  about  the  middle  of  April, 
"that  the  river  will  not  break  up  for  some  time  yet, 
although  should  such  weather  as  we  have  continue,  I 
would  not  wonder  to  see  it  open  by  the  first  of  May. 
Am  afraid  a  change  will  set  in  in  a  day  or  two  again, 
and  then  we  would  get  another  siege  of  slush.  I  am 
informed  that  the  Missouri  River  is  open  right  up  to  the 
boundary  line ;  if  so,  the  Red  will  soon  be  open  too.  I 
am  afraid  that  if  not,  it  will  be  difficult  to  get  mails  out 
or  in  for  about  a  month.  Frost  is  not  out  of  the  ground 
at  all  yet.  I  am  not  sure  it  ever  gets  out.  They  have 
moved  a  building  away  from  a  lot  on  the  front  street,  and 
they  commenced  digging  a  cellar.  Frost  was  down  under 
the  building  six  feet !  They  are  boring  the  ground  and 
blasting  with  gunpowder  as  if  it  were  rock  !  It  certainly 
beats  all  I  have  ever  seen  in  the  shape  of  frost.  The 
roads  here,  however,  never  wait  for  the  frost  to  get  out 
before  drying  up.  A  good  part  of  the  road  is  dry  now, 


126       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

although  only  thawed  to  the  depth  of  a  few  inches. 
Should  rain  come,  however,  I  am  afraid  things  will  be  in 
an  awful  mess.  It  is  heavy  to-day  and  such  may  be  the 
issue.  The  city  is  not  drained  or  sidewalked  yet,  and  it 
is  difficult  to  get  away  from  the  main  street.  The  Council 
are  going  to  do  something  this  summer,  I  understand. 
All  people  provide  themselves  with  boots  for  the  mud. 
Dr.  Clark  bought  a  pair  and  paid  fourteen  dollars  for 
them  !  They  are  like  my  high  boots  with  this  difference, 
that  there  was  a  lining  of  leather  opposite  the  seams. 
They  are  supposed  to  be  water-tight,  but  I  do  not  know. 
I  am  not  to  invest  in  that  line." 

Canny  Scot !  Let  Dr.  Clark  experiment  if  he  likes. 
He  will  tie  on  his  rubbers  and  wade  through  the  Winni- 
peg mud,  tenacious,  greasy  and  black  though  it  be. 
"  Rubbers  are  good,  but  no  person  can  keep  them  on  un- 
less tied  to  the  boot  or  foot.  Mud  is  very  tenacious, 
greasy  and  black.  I  think  the  whole  is  the  deposit  at 
the  bottom  of  a  lake.  There  is  no  making  of  a  road  from 
such  stuff.  It  is  all  good,  dry  and  hard  in  a  short  time, 
but  when  wet,  I  am  told,  you  go  down — down — down 
till  you  can't  get  downer.  The  great  wonder  to  me  is, 
how  coolly  the  people  take  the  whole  matter.  I  begin  to 
think  now  that  Manitobans  can  put  up  with  any  sort  of 
thing — cold,  mud,  peace  or  rebellion. "  But  philosophic 
as  Manitobans  may  be,  there  are  certain  things  even  they 
cannot  endure.  "  There  has  been  a  good  deal  of  dis- 
content in  the  city  because  of  the  delay  in  commencing 
public  works.  The  greater  part  of  the  country  has  had 
no  crop  for  two  years  and  grain  of  all  kinds  having  to  be 
imported,  money  has  gone  out  rapidly.  Hence,  there  is 
little  or  none  here  just  now,  nor  is  there  anything  to 
bring  it  in  but  public  works  till  people  can  export  pro- 
visions. Having  to  import  food,  clothes,  etc.,  and  hav- 
ing only  the  little  money  from  the  fur  trade  and  that 


A  MISSIONARY  MINISTER  127 

brought  in  by  immigrants,  the  amount  is  small.  Hence 
the  desire  that  the  Government  should  spend  as  much 
money  as  possible  till  the  Province  should  grow  a  little. 
We  think  things  are  more  favourable  now.  There  has 
been  a  great  scarcity  of  employment  so  far.  The  most  of 
the  men  here  are  now  engaged,  but  yet  many  are  seen 
lounging  about  the  city.  Of  course,  if  a  person  has 
enough  to  keep  him  he  can  go  out  and  work  on  a  farm 
and  do  well,  but  if  not,  there  has  not  been  a  great  deal 
to  do  here  this  spring,  and  board  is  very  high.  The 
weather  has  been  favourable  for  spring  work,  and  every 
person  is  putting  in  all  he  has.  Government  has  been 
furnishing  seed  wheat  at  two  dollars  per  bushel  to  all 
who  wished  to  buy.  The  spring  was  not  so  late  as  we 
would  think.  Wheat  was  sown  here  on  the  29th  of 
April,  and  farther  west  I  suppose  earlier." 

With  the  Red  River  farmers,  too,  this  spring  is  one  full 
of  trial. 

"Things  are  very  slack  here  just  now,"  he  observes. 
"There  is  little  or  no  money  in  the  country.  All  along 
the  Red  River  there  was  no  crop  last  year.  Grain  and 
provisions  were  brought  in  from  Minnesota,  and  money 
went  out  in  exchange  for  it.  This  has  left  the  country 
bare  of  all  money.  The  old  settlers  here  are  not  rich. 
In  the  early  days  they  had  no  market,  properly  speak- 
ing, for  their  grain,  and  often  they  put  in  none  at  all  be- 
cause they  had  enough.  They  lived  on  from  year  to  year 
and  sowed  and  reaped  much  as  you  get  your  wood.  If 
you  have  a  good  pile  there  is  no  need  of  getting  the 
sawing- machine  this  year.  Many,  in  fact  most  of  them, 
cultivated  but  little  strips  of  land,  enough  to  keep  them 
well.  Now  there  is  a  good  market,  but  grasshoppers 
have  troubled  them  for  two  years,  so  that  no  crop  has  been 
raised."  But  already  the  optimism  of  the  West  has 
possessed  his  soul.  Not  even  the  devastating  grass- 


128       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

hoppers  can  damp  his  spirit,  so  he  continues,  "They 
think  that  there  will  be  none  this  year,  and  if  so  quite  a 
change  will  take  place.  Of  course,  they  did  not  trouble 
the  whole  province.  At  the  Portage  and  west  of  that 
there  was  a  good  crop.  Heard  a  few  days  ago  the  lowest 

estimate  of  Mr.  McK 's  crop.     He  is  a  farmer  west  of 

Portage.     This  is  from  himself. 

Wheat  at  least       3,000  bushels  at  $1.50  =  $4,500.00 
Barley  "     "  1,000       "       "1.26=    1,250.00 

Onions"     "  300       "       "2.50=       750.00 

Potatoes     "  1,000       "       "1.00=    1,000.00 

Peas  and  Oats  150       "       "    1.00=       150.00 

Carrots  and  Turnips  500       "       "      .50=       250.00 


$7,900.00 

This  is  the  crop,  exclusive  of  all  he  made  from  stock, 
and  this  is  the  lowest  estimate.  What  he  made  was 
nearer  $10,000.  He  made  a  great  deal  from  stock,  selling 
cows  at  from  fifty  to  seventy  dollars,  and  oxen  at  two 
hundred  dollars  and  upwards  per  yoke.  He  is,  however, 
the  largest  farmer  in  the  country.  Such  prices  cannot  be 
realized  for  another  year,  I  think,  but  yet  for  a  good  time 
to  come  there  must  be  a  good  market." 

His  optimism  is  of  the  kind  that  demands  exact  knowl- 
edge. His  insatiable  greed  for  statistics  is  beginning  to 
assert  itself.  Occasionally  he  allows  himself  to  take  the 
wings  of  hearsay  and  soar  into  the  regions  of  prophecy. 

"  A  good  many  people  are  expected  in  here  this  year ; 
they  think  about  five  thousand  will  come.  There  is  plenty 
of  land  for  them,  and  I  trust  it  may  be  taken  up.  Gov- 
ernment is  going  to  build  a  railroad  from  Pembina  to 
Winnipeg  next  summer.  It  is  also  going  to  put  a 
bridge  across  Red  Eiver,  and  put  up  several  public  build- 
ings. This  will  cost  a  good  deal,  and  hence  a  good  deal 
of  money  must  be  spent  in  the  next  summer  in  employ- 


A  MISSIONARY  MINISTER  129 

ment  of  men.  Wages  have  been  very  high  all  along,  but 
I  think  that  they  must  be  lower.  A  larger  number  of 
people  will  be  employed  on  laud  this  year  that  were  about 
the  city  last  summer  because  no  laud  was  cultivated." 
But  his  mind  soon  swings  back  to  his  own  special  busi- 
ness. ' t  Quite  a  stir  was  made  here  by  a  sale  of  lots  in 
the  town  of  Totogan  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Manitoba.  A 
large  number  bought  lots  at  one  hundred  dollars,  fifty 
feet  by  one  hundred  and  twenty.  Did  not  care  to  invest 
in  that  town  site,  but  got  a  lot  for  our  Church  there  by 
getting  Bryce  to  buy  one.  We  have  numbers  thirty- 
seven  and  thirty-eight  on  the  map — a  corner,  as  you  see. 
We  have  a  fund  here  for  such  purposes.  I  am  going  to 
recommend  the  Presbytery  to  give  services  there  next 
summer  and  connect  it  with  the  First  Crossing  of  the 
White  Mud.  We  must  live  in  the  future  here,  and  if  I 
can  give  any  life  to  things  here  I  must  do  so."  Where 
Totogan  is  in  this  day  of  grace,  none  but  the  old  timers 
know.  But  wherever  it  is,  let  us  hope  that  corner  lot  is 
registered  in  the  name  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

He  has  now  been  away  from  his  wife  and  family  for 
three  months  and  a  half,  and  occupied  as  he  is  with  con- 
gregational, Church  and  State  affairs,  in  the  pauses  of  his 
work  he  feels  keenly  this  his  first  separation  from  those 
he  loves,  and  his  letter  closes  as  ever  with  a  word  of 
tender  longing  and  of  loneliness. 

"  Kiss  our  children  for  me.  Hope  you  are  all  well  and 
that  you  enjoy  yourselves.  Would  wish  much  to  have 
you  even  for  an  hour,  but  must  say  nothing.  Time  will 
soon  pass.  Have  only  eleven  more  Sabbaths.  That 
won't  be  long  passing  if  all  spared  and  well." 

And  once  more  the  mother  kisses  the  children,  tucking 
them  safely  in  bed  and  sets  herself  to  wait  for  the  passing 
of  eleven  more  Sabbaths,  with  never  a  thought  of  the  long 
vista  of  lonely  Sabbaths  the  years  will  bring  her. 


XVI 

THE  CALL  TO  KNOX  CHURCH,  WINNIPEG 


r~  n  ~^HERE  could  be  only  one  issue  to  Mr.  Robertson's 
$  period  of  service  in  Knox  Church.  During  the 

A  few  weeks  of  his  ministry  he  had  seized  the 
congregational  helm  with  so  firm  a  grip,  had  directed  its 
course  through  fogs  and  storms  with  such  unerring  skill, 
that  the  hearts  of  the  members  of  his  congregation  turned 
to  him  as  the  only  one  in  sight  to  whom  they  could  with 
confidence  intrust  themselves.  About  the  middle  of 
April  the  question  of  a  call  began  to  be  mooted.  At  this 
time  he  was  confidentially  approached  by  one  of  the  most 
influential  of  the  citizens  of  Winnipeg,  one  of  his  own 
elders,  to  discover  whether  he  would  under  any  circum- 
stances consider  a  call.  As  we  have  seen,  opportunities 
for  settling  in  the  West  had  been  offered  him  by  the  con- 
gregations of  High  Bluff  and  Palestine,  but  to  all  he  gave 
the  same  answer.  In  a  letter  to  his  wife  he  discusses  the 
question. 

"I  told  him  that  I  did  not  come  with  a  view  to  settle 
in  the  country,  and  that  I  was  on  the  best  of  terms  with 
my  own  people,  and  hence  never  thought  of  a  change. 
He  wished  me  very  much  to  do  so,  and  expressed  himself 
confidently  as  to  the  future  of  the  congregation  should  I 
consent  to  be  pastor.  What  do  you  say  to  this  ?  If  I 
wish  to  stay  in  Manitoba  it  is  evident  I  can,  if  not  in  one 
place,  certainly  in  another.  What  does  mamma  say? 
Shall  I  put  my  foot  down  and  say  no  t  There  is  much, 
very  much  here  to  do.  It  would  be  no  easy  charge,  but 
I  am  not  sure  that  work  is  to  be  shirked.  But  what 

130 


THE  CALL  TO  KNOX  CHURCH  131 

about  poor  Norwich?  They  would  think  it  treason 
should  they  hear  that  I  was  speaking  so. 

"None  of  these  things  are  of  my  seeking.  I  may  say, 
however,  that  I  do  not  feel  at  home  here — never  preached 
satisfactorily  here  yet.  Nor  am  I  getting  much  better. 
Am  not  quite  myself,  am  bilious.  I  am  afraid  of  Eed 
Eiver  water  in  spring.  They  say  its  tendency  is  to  pro- 
duce biliousness.  Feel  a  good  deal  the  distracted  state 
of  the  congregation,  too,  and  am  annoyed.  What  am  I 
to  say  to  these  people  f  " 

A  month  passed.  The  matter  of  a  call  was  earnestly 
discussed  pro  and  con.  One  great  difficulty  in  the  way 
of  his  accepting  was  the  attitude  of  the  Old  Kirk  party. 
The  adherents  of  that  party  were  seriously  hampered  in 
their  line  of  action  by  the  fact  that  they  were  still  uncer- 
tain as  to  the  result  of  the  union  negotiations  then  pro- 
ceeding. Should  the  union  fall  through,  the  rivalry  be- 
tween the  Churches  would,  doubtless,  be  keener  than  ever, 
in  which  case  loyalty  would  forbid  members  of  the  Old 
Kirk  party  amalgamating  with  those  of  the  Canada 
Presbyterian  Church.  It  was  for  them  a  truly  difficult 
situation  and,  indeed,  for  all.  Robertson's  engagement 
would  terminate  by  the  end  of  June.  People  were  pour- 
ing in  every  week.  The  interests  of  the  congregation  de- 
manded that  some  man  should  be  in  charge  continuously 
during  the  summer.  About  the  middle  of  May  a  congre- 
gational meeting  unanimously  agreed  to  ask  Presbytery 
for  moderation  in  a  call,  offering  two  thousand  dollars 
stipend  but,  of  course,  mentioning  no  name,  though  it  was 
perfectly  understood  that  only  one  man  was  in  the  mind 
of  the  congregation.  Leave  was  granted  by  the  Presby- 
tery and  thus  for  Robertson  the  situation  became  acute. 
In  a  letter  to  his  wife  of  May  15th,  1874,  he  goes  over  the 
matter  thus : 

"The  moderation  is  to  take  place  in  June,  and  Pres- 


132       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

bytery  meets  in  July  according  to  appointment,  for 
Presbytery  granted  the  prayer  of  the  congregation  at  its 
last  meeting  on  Wednesday.  If  I  ani  called  then  what  is 
to  be  done  ?  I  am  not  asked  and  can  say  nothing.  I  had 
to  promise  Presbytery  to  give  a  day  or,  if  necessary,  two 
in  July.  The  position  is  very  difficult.  Professor  Bryce 
is  away  in  Canada  and  is  not  going  to  return  till  the  fall. 
He  is  collecting  for  the  college.  Dr.  Clark  is  away,  but 
going  to  return  in  July.  Another  man  cannot  come  here 
till  after  I  am  through  and  they  do  not  want  one  if  I  am 
called." 

His  difficulties  increase  as  time  goes  on.  By  the  end  of 
May  he  and  Dr.  Black  are  left  almost  alone  in  the  whole 
Western  field.  No  relief  can  be  expected  till  the  middle 
of  July.  Presbytery  begs  him  to  remain  for  the  first  two 
Sabbaths  of  that  month,  and  anxious  as  he  is  to  return  to 
his  congregation  and  his  home,  there  is  nothing  for  it  but 
that  he  should  agree  to  the  Presbytery's  request.  He 
cannot  bring  himself  to  think  of  leaving  the  Western 
fields  in  such  desperate  straits.  Desperate,  indeed,  must 
they  have  been  before  he  would  venture  to  write  his  wife 
in  the  following  strain  : 

"  If  I  agree  to  stay  here  if  called,  I  suppose  I  cannot 
return  to  Canada  at  all.  Could  you  all  come  out  without 
me  ?  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bryce  are  coming  out  in  September. 
Could  you  come  then  with  them  t  My  whole  mind  gets  in 
rebellion  when  I  think  of  it,  and  yet  I  do  not  know  what 
I  am  to  do.  I  do  not  think  I  am  justified  in  putting  my 
own  feelings  in  opposition  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
cause  here,  and  evidently  the  cause  here  is  of  great  con- 
sequence in  the  beginning  of  the  history  of  the  province. 
I  wish  very  much  I  had  some  good  man  to  consult  with. 
Bryce  says  he  would  accept  at  once  if  in  my  place.  Of 
course,  the  place  is  better  than  Norwich,  and  will  be  all 
the  time  growing.  There  is  more  of  a  chance  here,  too, 


THE  CALL  TO  KNOX  CHURCH  133 

to  do  well.  My  only  fear  is  that  I  am  not  strong  enough 
for  it.  If  the  congregation  unanimously  call,  I  shall  be 
in  a  great  perplexity.  I  am  trying  beforehand  to  think 
of  what  is  to  be  done  if  the  call  comes. " 

That  must  have  been  a  hard  letter  to  write  and  a  hard 
letter  to  receive.  But  with  him  always  it  is  the  Cause 
first.  Distressed  as  he  is  by  his  own  perplexities  and 
troubled  for  his  wife  and  family,  he  is  even  more  deeply 
anxious  for  the  condition  of  the  mission  fields,  and  hardly 
pressed  by  the  burden  of  work  laid  upon  him.  Under 
date  May  26th,  he  writes  to  his  wife  : 

"  I  must  cut  short  my  letters  to  you  for  a  time.  You 
must  be  content  with  a  note  instead  of  a  letter.  In  my 
last  I  told  you  I  had  to  take  charge  of  Professor  Bryce's 
classes  in  Ladies7  School  and  College  when  he  was  away. 
To-day,  in  answer  to  a  telegram  from  Toronto,  Professor 
Hart  went  away,  and  I  am  to  take  charge  of  his  classes  as 
well.  To  do  the  work  of  these  two  men  as  best  I  can,  and 
to  do  my  own  duties  as  minister  of  Knox  Church,  will 
require  all  my  time.  I  am  sorry  the  way  things  are,  but 
cannot  help  it  now.  I  am  extremely  sorry  that  both 
these  men  should  be  away  now  and  that  the  field  should 
be  left  desolate  as  well  by  the  departure  of  Mr.  Matheson 
for  Canada  to  attend  General  Assembly.  Messrs.  McKellar 
and  Currie  are  not  expected  to  start  from  Toronto  till  the 
1st  of  June — and  things  will  be  at  sixes  and  sevens  till 
they  are  here.  There  should  be  a  man  just  now  at  Pem- 
bina  when  the  Emerson  colony  is  coming  in.  There  has 
been  no  person  in  Palestine  since  the  1st  of  April,  and 
no  hope  of  one  till  the  1st  of  July.  Eockwood,  Victoria, 
Greenwood  and  Woodlands,  four  stations  in  a  group,  can 
only  get  supply  once  in  a  long  time.  Gris  Isle  cannot  be 
opened  up  at  all.  The  Boyne  settlement  can  have  no 
supply  till  July.  Fraser  is  the  only  man  between  Burn- 
side,  Portage  la  Prairie,  High  Bluff,  Portage  Creek, 


134:       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Poplar  Point,  First  Crossing  and  Totogan.  No  person, 
but  such  supply  as  we  can  give,  for  Pine  Creek,  Little 
Britain,  Mapleton  and  three  stations  at  Point  du  Chene 
and  Headingly .  I  do  not  know  what  to  do.  I  came  here 
for  rest,  but  never  had  so  much  work  to  look  after  in  all 
my  life. 

"It  is  not  known  when  Professor  Bryce  comes  back, 
Matheson  not  till  July  12th  and  Professor  Hart  in  October. 
If  the  work  is  not  better  managed  then  we  must  lose  a 
great  deal  here.  This  is  the  best  time  and  yet  we  are 
without  men  to  work." 

The  man  is  at  his  wits'  end.  These  empty  fields  weigh 
heavy  on  his  heart.  He  has  made  this  work  his  own  and 
its  breakdown  fills  him  with  dismay.  How  those  lists 
impress  us  !  How  characteristic  of  the  man  and  how 
prophetic  of  the  future  !  Undoubtedly  for  this  kaleido- 
scopic Western  mission  work,  for  these  rapidly  growing 
and  rapidly  dividing  mission  fields,  a  man  thus  endowed 
with  this  marvellous  faculty  for  details  is  sorely  needed. 
But  he  carries  these  fields  in  his  head,  chiefly  because  he 
holds  them  in  his  heart. 

Happily,  the  union  negotiations  came  to  a  successful 
issue  and  at  once  the  good  effect  was  felt  in  the  congrega- 
tion. The  Old  Kirk  party  in  Knox  Church  was  thus  set 
free  to  unite  as,  indeed,  most  of  them  had  desired,  in  a 
call  to  their  present  minister.  But  for  some  weeks  the 
tension  for  him  is  still  great  and  the  anxiety  unabated. 
This,  however,  does  not  damp  his  impetuous  missionary 
ardour.  On  the  19th  of  June  he  writes  : 

'  *  Time  is  passing  rapidly  and  I  trust  I  shall  be  able  to 
get  home  soon.  Last  Sabbath  I  went  to  Rockwood  and 
Greenwood  to  preach,  Mr.  Vincent  preaching  in  the  city. 
Took  a  man  out  with  me  who  came  in  from  Ontario. 
Got  out  about  nine  o'clock  and  got  a  young  man  there 
ready  to  start  in  the  morning  and  warn  the  people  in  the 


THE  CALL  TO  KNOX  CHURCH          135 

settlement  of  the  service.  Preached  at  eleven  and  had 
about  twenty-five  persons  in  all.  Drove  ten  miles  then 
over  the  prairie  and  came  to  Eockwood.  Found  only 
twelve  grown-up  people  here.  Preached,  and  made  ar- 
rangements to  preach  two  weeks  from  that  day  or  send 
some  one.  There  are  four  townships  here,  one  behind  the 
other,  and  we  must  try  and  have  service  in  all  of  them 
during  the  summer.  A  good  many  settlers  are  going 
in  there  and  they  must  be  looked  after.  There  is  quite 
a  settlement  west  of  those  places,  too,  and  service  must  be 
begun  there.  Those  young  men,  the  missionaries  from 
Canada,  are  not  here  yet  and  we  are  very  much  cramped 
in  supply.  We  don't  know  what  to  do.  Things  are 
much  neglected.  There  appears  to  be  no  system,  no 
regular  laid  down  scheme  according  to  which  to  work, 
and  hence  but  little  is  done.  I  feel  more  every  day  the 
need  of  doing  well  what  is  to  be  done  here.  There  was  a 
great  mistake  committed  in  allowing  so  many  of  the 
ministers  to  go  away  to  Ontario,  and  another  in  not  hav- 
ing Messrs.  McKellar  and  Currie  here  two  months  ago. 
This  is  the  time  for  us  to  work  our  mission  field. 

"  Immigrants  coming  in  rapidly  and  in  great  numbers, 
land  being  settled  fast.  Many  are  going  outside  province 
and  soon  the  tide  will  go  all  to  the  West." 

This  is  an  impressive  letter.  How  these  imperative 
and  oft  reiterated  u  musts"  smite  on  our  hearts  !  Those 
four  townships,  who  told  him  about  them?  "  We  must 
try  and  have  service  in  all  of  them  during  the  summer." 
il  Incoming  settlers  must  be  looked  after."  In  the  settle- 
ments to  the  west  "  Service  must  be  begun  there."  How 
the  word  hammers  us  !  How  the  fire  of  his  hot  impa- 
tience burns  against  the  neglect  of  these  opportunities  ! 
Where  other  men  might  regret  and  deplore  and  do  noth- 
ing, Robertson  burns  with  indignant  resolve  that  these 
things  shall  not  continue.  That  is  a  noble  sentence  of 


136       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

his,  "  I  feel  more  every  day  the  need  of  doing  well  what 
is  to  be  done  here."  It  is  the  man's  conscience,  his  pre- 
science of  the  future,  his  love  of  his  country  and  his  zeal 
for  his  cause  that,  working  together,  produce  this  feeling 
of  anxiety  and  this  determination  that  things  must  be 
thoroughly  done. 

Five  days  after  that  visit  to  Eockwood,  on  the  24th 
of  June,  Dr.  Black  moderated  in  a  call  in  Knox  Church. 
There  was  but  one  name  before  the  people,  and  without 
a  dissenting  voice  a  call  was  made  out  in  favour  of  the 
Eev.  James  Eobertson  of  Norwich,  Ontario.  The 
Presbytery  of  Manitoba  sustained  the  call,  appointed 
Dr.  Bryce  and  Eev.  William  Cochrane  commissioners  to 
prosecute  it  before  the  Presbytery  of  Paris.  And  so  it 
came  that  with  this  in  his  hand,  Eobertson  came  back  to 
his  congregation  and  to  his  wife  to  settle  the  momentous 
question  of  his  future  ;  momentous  not  for  himself  and 
family  alone,  but,  though  he  knew  it  not,  for  his  Church 
and  for  Western  Canada.  The  call,  signed  by  forty-three 
members  and  forty-eight  adherents  and  duly  attested  by 
the  Moderator  of  the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba,  was  presented 
on  the  llth  day  of  August,  1874,  to  the  Presbytery  of  Paris. 
When  the  parties  were  called  to  the  bar,  there  appeared 
for  the  congregation  of  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg,  and 
the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba,  the  Eev.  William  Cochrane, 
for  the  congregations  of  Norwich  and  Windham,  Messrs. 
Barr,  Donald,  Dean  and  others,  and  the  Eev.  James 
Eobertson  for  himself. 

The  last  month  had  been  for  him  and  for  his  wife  one 
of  anxious,  earnest,  prayerful  deliberation.  But  even  up 
to  the  day  of  Presbytery  meeting,  he  was  still  uncertain 
as  to  his  duty.  After  the  commissioners  had  supported 
their  respective  causes,  he  was  called  upon  for  his  answer, 
whereupon  stating  his  great  difficulties  in  coming  to  a 
right  decision,  he  cast  himself  upon  the  judgment  of  the 


THE  CALL  TO  KNOX  CHURCH  137 

Presbytery  to  translate  or  not  as  they  saw  fit.  The  parties 
having  been  removed,  the  Presbytery  proceeded  to  give 
judgment,  whereupon  it  was  moved  by  Mr.  McTavish, 
seconded  by  Mr.  McMullen  and  unanimously  agreed, 
"  That  the  translation  sought  for  be  granted  and  the 
pastoral  tie  between  Mr.  Kobertson  and  the  congregations 
of  Norwich  and  Windham  be  dissolved  with  a  view  to 
his  induction  to  the  charge  of  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg, 
such  dissolution  of  pastoral  tie  to  take  place  on  and  after 
the  first  Sabbath  of  September,  and  that  Mr.  Eobertson 
be,  as  he  is  hereby,  instructed  to  hold  himself  in  readiness 
to  obey  the  orders  of  the  Manitoba  Presbytery  after  that 
date." 

And,  indeed,  nothing  else  could  have  been  done,  for 
when  Eobertsou  had  told  his  Presbytery  of  Paris  the  story 
of  his  six  months  and  a  half  experience  in  the  far  West, 
he  had  practically  predetermined  the  action  of  Presbytery 
in  regard  to  the  call  from  Winnipeg.  The  Presbytery, 
listening  to  his  recital,  had  become  possessed  of  the  con- 
viction that  the  Church  was  summoned  to  vast  and  im- 
portant work  in  that  new  and  wonderful  land,  and  of 
another  conviction  as  well,  that  for  the  strategic  position 
of  minister  of  Knox  Church,  Eobertson  was  the  man. 
And  though  Eobertson  himself  might  fear  that  he  "  was 
not  strong  enough,"  none  of  his  co-presbyters  shared  his 
fear,  but  rather  felt  sure  that  there  was  no  man  among 
them  so  fit  for  this  position  of  leadership,  and  hence  their 
minute.  And  so  with  a  sharp  wrench,  the  pain  of  which 
remained  for  many  days  and  even  for  years,  Eobertson 
was  translated  from  the  little  country  congregations  of 
Norwich  and  Windham  in  peaceful  Ontario,  to  Knox 
Church,  the  leading  congregation  of  Winnipeg,  the  bust- 
ling, hustling  metropolitan  city  of  the  West. 


XVII 

THE  PASTOR  OF  KNOX  CHURCH,  WINNIPEG 

WHILE  Presbytery  was  discussing  the  Winnipeg- 
call,  a  little  woman  was  waiting  the  issue  in 
the  Norwich  manse,  anxious  and  praying  for 
— she  hardly  knew  what.  For  though  she  had  read  in 
her  husband's  heart  solicitude  for  the  future  of  the 
Western  country  which  he  had  already  grown  to  love, 
and  longing  as  yet  unacknowledged  even  to  himself  to 
have  a  hand  in  its  making,  and  though  in  her  heart  of 
hearts  she  knew  there  could  be  only  one  result  of  the 
deliberations  in  progress,  still  she  waited,  anxious  and 
hoping  that  somehow  it  might  be  that  their  present  quiet 
and  happy  life  might  remain  undisturbed.  And  so  it 
was  with  a  sinking  of  heart  that  she  received  her  hus- 
band's report  that  by  a  decision  of  Presbytery  they  were 
under  orders  for  the  West.  She  realized  fully  all  that 
was  involved,  the  breaking  of  those  bonds  that  had  bound 
her  to  the  people  among  whom  they  had  made  their  home 
for  the  past  six  years,  the  leaving  behind  of  her  own  folk, 
the  facing  of  the  new  land  and  all  its  unknown  terrors, 
the  uncertainty  of  the  life  before  them,  the  isolation,  the 
heart-sickening  loneliness,  all  this  she  had  already  gone 
over  till  she  knew  it  like  a  well -conned  lesson.  But  this 
day  for  the  first  time  what  had  been  an  anxiety  and  a 
fear,  became  a  reality  which  must  be  faced  at  once.  And 
face  it  she  did,  however  her  heart  might  sink,  without 
a  word  of  murmur  or  regret.  The  new  land  and  the  new 
life  were  to  her  unknown,  but  she  knew  her  husband  and 

138 


THE  PASTOR  OF  KNOX  CHURCH        139 

could  trust  his  j  udgment.  There  would  be  hardship  and 
loneliness,  but  these  she  was  ready  to  share  with  him. 
Besides,  he  had  heard  the  call,  and  to  that  call  he  must 
give  heed,  and  she  was  not  the  one  to  bid  him  pause. 
Nor  did  he  pause.  Leaving  his  family  behind  him  in  the 
meantime  at  Norwich,  he  proceeded  westward  in  the 
second  week  of  October,  1874. 

His  journey  was  uneventful.  His  route  lay  through 
the  United  States  by  Duluth,  thence  by  train  to  Glyndon, 
and  thence  to  Crookston,  where  he  hoped  to  find  the  boat 
for  Winnipeg.  To  his  chagrin  he  found  the  boat  gone, 
and  Crookston  full  of  impatient  passengers,  among  them 
the  Bishop  of  Saskatchewan  with  his  whole  family  who 
had  been  there  for  five  days  unable  to  get  passage. 
What  was  he  to  do  I  He  was  due  in  Winnipeg  for  his 
induction  on  Tuesday  of  the  following  week.  The  next 
boat  would  not  arrive  in  Winnipeg  till  Thursday. 
Should  he  wait  patiently,  or  impatiently,  with  the  worthy 
Bishop  and  then  take  a  pleasantly  tedious  boat  trip  down 
the  sinuosities  of  the  Red  River  ?  No  such  programme 
would  suit  this  impetuous  traveller.  He  writes  his  wife  : 

1  i  Found  the  boat  gone.  The  next  would  not  get  down 
till  Thursday  night  and  unless  I  came  by  stage  I  could 
not  arrive  at  all  for  induction.  So  got  away  from 
Crookston  on  Sabbath  evening.  The  roads  were  good 
and  we  made  good  time.  Arrived  in  Winnipeg  on  Tues- 
day morning  about  four  o'clock.  They  had  all  been  de- 
spairing of  my  being  here  on  time,  except  a  few  brave 
souls  who  maintained  that  such  was  not  the  character  of 
the  man.  Got  nicely  rested  before  induction  came  on. 
Presbytery  met  in  the  afternoon  at  two  o>  clock  and  I  at- 
tended. " 

Very  different  was  the  welcome  waiting  him  this  time 
from  that  which  met  him  at  his  first  coming  to  Winnipeg. 
Then,  without  a  word  of  greeting,  he  made  his  way  to 


140       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  EOBERTSON 

his  uncomfortable  hotel,  chilled  to  the  bone  with  his  long 
drive  through  the  fierce  January  frosts  and  depressed 
with  loneliness  and  homesickness.  Now  he  is  welcomed 
by  hosts  of  friends  and  by  a  united  and  enthusiastic  con- 
gregation. As  that  day  he  looked  upon  Winnipeg,  the 
impression  made  upon  him  by  the  straggling  city  never 
left  him.  .  Many  years  afterwards,  recalling  his  feelings, 
he  writes : 

1 1 1  stood  at  Fort  Garry  gate  and  looked  over  the  black 
trail  with  its  clustering  variegation  of  shops  and  shacks 
that  marked  the  main  street  of  the  capital.  From  that 
day,  my  hope  for  the  West  has  never  faded,  nor  have  I 
ceased  to  be  grateful  for  its  rich  opportunities  for  service." 

His  congregation  and,  indeed,  the  whole  city  were 
waiting  him.  His  letter  to  his  wife  goes  on  : 

"The  meeting  at  the  induction  was  quite  a  large  one — 
the  church  was  full.  It  was  also  a  good  representation 
of  all  parties  in  the  Church.  There  were  quite  a  number 
of  strangers — people  belonging  to  our  own  Church  who 
had  come  here  during  my  absence.  They  appeared  to  be 
all  hearty  and  pleased.  The  Kirk  people,  too,  I  think, 
will  work  well.  I  want  to  pursue  the  policy  of  forgetful- 
ness  of  the  past,  and  active  effort  for  the  cause  of  Presby- 
terianism  and  Christianity  for  the  future." 

He  came  at  a  time  when  he  was  badly  needed.  The 
congregation  had  become  somewhat  disorganized  during 
the  interregnum,  and  there  was  much  sickness,  for  the 
city  was  full  of  the  typhoid  fever  that  for  many  years  con- 
tinued to  haunt  the  banks  of  the  Bed  Eiver.  In  addition, 
immigrants  were  arriving  in  large  numbers,  some  dis- 
tributing themselves  in  shacks  and  tents  upon  the  prairie 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  others  pushing  on  to  seek  the 
better  country  that  to  them  seemed  to  lie  nearer  the  setting 
sun.  By  "  the  Dawson  route  "  and  by  steamer  they  came, 
many  of  them  poor,  some  of  them  sick,  all  lonely,  all 


THE  PASTOR  OF  KNOX  CHURCH        141 

needing  help,  comfort  and  cheer.  Robertson  took  hold 
of  the  situation  with  a  firm  grasp.  First  he  proceeded  to 
organize  his  force  of  workers. 

"Things  here  are  quiet,"  he  writes  to  his  wife  under 
date  October  30th.  1 1  There  is  still  a  good  deal  of  sickness 
with  fever,  but  there  are  very  few  deaths.  The  weather 
has  turned  cold  now,  and  I  think  we  shall  have  no  new 
cases.  I  have  done  a  good  deal  of  visiting,  but  there  is  a 
great  deal  yet  to  be  done.  I  am  falling  in  with  new  peo- 
ple every  day,  and  no  person  seems  to  have  any  idea  of 
where  our  people  are.  Things  are  not  in  a  good  state 
generally,  but  they  may  take  a  better  turn  soon  now. 
There  is  much  work  to  be  done  and  single-handed  I  can- 
not overtake  it  all.  The  Sabbath-school  has  been  low  ow- 
ing to  sickness  and  no  one  being  here  to  take  an  interest 
in  it.  Next  week  we  have  a  meeting  of  teachers  and  ex- 
pect to  do  something  to  set  matters  right.  Prayer-meet- 
ing and  all  have  suifered,  but  we  hope  to  make  things 
better  there  too.77 

And  again  a  week  later  he  writes  : 

"  Am  very  busy  visiting,  etc.,  here  just  now.  Had  a 
meeting  of  Session  last  night  and  tried  to  get  things  in 
order.  We  did  a  good  deal  of  business  and  found  mem- 
bers willing  to  aid  as  much  as  possible.  We  agreed  to 
have  regular  meetings  once  every  month  and  oftener  if 
necessary.  We  agreed  to  get  some  men  in  the  respective 
districts  into  which  the  city  is  divided  to  aid  the  elders  in 
keeping  trace  of  those  coming  in  and  going  out.  Session 
are  going  to  visit  themselves  as  much  and  as  faithfully  as 
possible.  Measures  are  to  be  adopted  to  see  strangers  to 
seats  and  to  welcome  those  who  come  to  our  services,  and 
we  are  also  to  arrange  about  advertising  services  in  papers 
and  posting  notices  in  boarding-houses  and  hotels.  We 
have  adopted  measures  to  have  a  society  for  the  relief  of 
the  poor,  too,  and  I  expect  we  shall  get  some  aid  in  at- 


142       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

tending  to  cases  of  real  want.  Things  are  beginning  to 
be  organized,  and  before  long  we  shall  be  on  our  way. 
We  must  vigorously  push  and  do  what  we  can,  for  unless 
this  is  done  we  must  suffer.  I  meet  with  people  who  have 
never  been  in  our  church  yet  although  here  all  summer. 
I  am  coming  in  contact  with  people  and  finding  out 
Presbyterians  of  whose  existence  Session  and  congregation 
were  ignorant.  Such  things  must  not  be  if  it  can  be  pre- 
vented." 

Again  that  imperative  "  must "  makes  itself  felt.  The 
Session  and  congregation  gather  about  him  loyally.  The 
leaders  of  the  Old  Kirk  party,  won  over  by  his  courtesy, 
his  preaching  power  and  his  administrative  ability,  at- 
tach themselves  to  him.  Dr.  Clark  retires  from  the  city 
and  after  a  short  experience  of  mission  work,  retires 
from  the  Presbyterian  Church  into  the  Anglican  fold 
where  we  lose  sight  of  him  forthwith.  There  was  no 
place  now  for  party  feeling  or  division.  The  pressing 
necessities  of  their  work  forced  minister  and  people  to 
united  and  earnest  cooperation.  Never  a  boat  or  stage 
arrived  but  the  minister  of  Knox  Church  was  there  to 
seek  out  and  welcome  first  the  Presbyterians  and  then 
any  others  that  may  need  him.  Dr.  Young,  the  veteran 
missionary  of  the  Methodist  Church,  once  remarked  in 
those  times,  "  There  is  no  use  of  my  going  to  meet  in- 
coming travellers.  Robertson  is  always  there  and  they 
are  all  Presbyterians  anyway."  Not  all  Presbyterians, 
but  certainly  a  very  large  proportion  of  them,  and  it  was 
characteristic  of  Robertson  that  he  frankly  accepted  re- 
sponsibility for  these  from  the  moment  of  their  arrival  in 
a  new  country,  and  to  these  he  gave  himself  without  stint 
of  time  or  energy  or  means. 

Immediately  the  congregation  begins  to  grow  in 
strength  and  in  unity.  As  the  winter  approaches,  the 
problem  of  increased  accommodation  looms  up. 


THE  PASTOE  OF  KNOX  CHURCH        143 

" Church  affairs  quiet,"  he  writes.  "Our  attendance 
is  good,  especially  at  night.  Measures  must  be  adopted 
about  a  new  church  during  this  winter.  The  question  of 
our  site  is  not  settled  and  hence  nothing  can  be  done. 
The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  want  to  give  us  a  lot  in  an- 
other place.  This  we  are  unwilling  to  take,  for  the  pres- 
ent site  is  central.  More  room,  however,  we  must  have. 
Book  racks  are  put  in  all  pews  and  we  are  to  have 
psalm-books  also.  They  are  sent  for." 

Thus  his  first  winter  passes,  his  days  filled  with  varied 
work  that  taxed  even  his  great  physical  powers  to  the 
utmost  and  left  him  often  spent  of  strength  and  greatly 
needing  the  care  and  comfort  of  his  home  and  family. 

About  the  end  of  the  first  year  of  his  pastorate,  his 
wife  and  children  arrived  in  Winnipeg.  That  was  a 
great  day  for  them  all.  Its  incidents  never  faded  from 
his  wife's  mind  during  the  twenty-five  years  that  fol- 
lowed. It  was  in  early  September.  The  boat  came  late 
at  night  to  the  wharf  that  lay  imbedded  in  the  muddy 
bank  of  the  Eed  Eiver.  It  was  black  and  rainy  when 
Mrs.  Eobertson,  standing  on  the  deck  piled  high  with 
baggage  and  freight  and  crowded  with  passengers,  her  two 
children  beside  her  and  her  baby  in  her  arms,  saw  by  the 
dim  light  of  the  wharf  her  husband's  tall  form  under  an 
umbrella  held  high.  The  baby  was  crying,  and  to  the 
father's  disappointment,  refused  utterly  to  go  to  him. 
So  up  the  long  flight  of  steps,  slippery  as  only  Eed  Eiver 
mud  can  make  things  slippery,  they  toiled,  and  through 
the  muddy  streets  to  the  hotel  for  the  night.  It  was  a 
dismal  enough  introduction  to  the  new  country  for  the 
wife,  but  next  morning  the  sun  was  shining  brightly  over 
this  wonderful  Western  town.  Her  husband' s  friends  and 
her  own  came  about  her,  offering  hospitality  of  heart 
and  home,  and  soon  Mrs.  Eobertson  found  herself  happy 
and  content,  busy  to  the  full  with  her  own  and  more 


144       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

with  her  husband's  work,  to  his  infinite  comfort  and 
peace. 

During  these  years  Winnipeg  was  full  of  young  men. 
By  scores  and  by  hundreds  they  poured  in,  the  most  ad- 
venturous, the  most  enterprising,  the  most  ambitious 
of  the  peoples  from  which  they  came.  To  win  and  hold 
these  men,  Mr.  Robertson  organized  a  Bible  class  that 
became  one  of  the  most  striking  features  of  the  congrega- 
tional life  and  work.  His  method  of  teaching  stimulated 
thought  and  provoked  discussion.  Those  were  vigorous 
days,  and  the  young  men  and  young  women  who  attended 
the  class  were  intellectually  alert  and  keen,  so  that  many 
a  day  the  hour  passed  unnoticed,  and  long  before  the  dis- 
cussion was  done  the  time  for  closing  had  come.  In  this 
way  and  by  regular  social  gatherings  of  the  class  at  his 
own  house,  where  he  was  as  young  as  the  youngest  of 
them,  the  minister  grew  into  the  affection  and  confidence 
of  the  younger  portion  of  his  congregation. 

The  story  of  the  Knox  pastorate  during  those  seven 
years,  from  1874  to  1881,  so  remarkable  in  Winnipeg's 
history,  deserves  separate  telling,  so  rich  is  it  in  striking 
incident  and  so  vivid  with  the  shifting  colours  of  that 
kaleidoscopic  period.  But  here  it  can  have  no  larger 
space.  As  pastor,  Mr.  Robertson  was  indefatigable  in 
his  toil,  unstinted  in  his  sympathy,  unfailing  in  resource. 
Old  timers  in  Winnipeg  are  full  of  stories  that  illustrate 
his  tact,  sympathy,  humour.  Here  is  one. 

An  old  Scotch  lady  lay  dying.  The  minister  visiting 
her  could  elicit  from  her  mind,  dulled  by  approaching 
death,  no  response.  Falling  back  upon  his  long  unused 
Gaelic,  he  repeated  a  Psalm  and  offered  prayer  in  that 
ancient  tongue.  The  effect  was  immediate  and  magical. 
The  eye  lighted  up,  the  spirit  came  back  again  for  a  few 
brief  moments,  recalled  by  the  sound  of  the  mother  tongue 
of  her  childhood  days. 


THE  PASTOR  OF  KNOX  CHURCH        145 

A  friend  of  those  early  days  tells  of  another  incident 
illustrative  of  the  courage  and  endurance  of  her  minister  : 

"His  pastoral  duties  often  called  him  to  take  long 
drives  into  the  surrounding  country.  These  drives  in 
winter  time  were  always  attended  with  hardship,  some- 
times \vith  danger.  Once  during  the  winter  of  1877  he 
went  to  Stony  Mountain  to  perform  a  marriage  ceremony. 
On  his  return  a  storm  came  up  with  startling  suddenness. 
The  sun  was  shining  brightly  and  there  was  no  appear- 
ance of  a  storm,  when  Mr.  Robertson  noticed  a  great 
white  cloud  like  snow  rolling  along  near  the  ground,  while 
the  sky  still  remained  clear.  In  another  instant  the  storm 
was  upon  him,  a  blizzard  so  blinding  that  the  horse 
stopped,  turned  round,  and  left  the  trail.  With  a  great 
deal  of  difficulty  he  got  the  horse  back  to  the  road,  un- 
hitched it  from  the  cutter,  took  off  the  harness,  and  let  it 
go,  then  set  off  himself  to  fight  his  way  through  the 
storm.  A  short  distance  from  Kildonan  he  overtook  a 
man  driving  a  load  of  wood  who  had  lost  his  way,  and 
who  was  almost  insensible  from  cold  and  fatigue.  He 
turned  the  horses  loose  and  took  the  man  with  him  to  a 
house  in  Kildonan.  After  half  an  hour's  rest  he  set  off 
again  for  Winnipeg,  for  he  had  left  his  wife  sick  in  bed 
and  he  well  knew  she  would  be  in  terror  for  him.  So 
once  more  he  faced  the  blizzard,  and,  after  two  hours7 
struggle,  he  reached  his  home.'7 

During  the  seven  years  of  his  pastorate  the  congrega- 
tion continued  to  grow,  not  only  in  numerical  and 
financial  strength,  but  in  spiritual  life  and  in  missionary 
zeal.  The  congregational  report  at  the  end  of  the  first 
year  of  his  pastorate  showed  100  families,  100  communi- 
cants, three  elders,  a  small  Sabbath-school  and  Bible 
Class,  with  insignificant  contributions  to  the  Mission 
funds  of  the  Church.  At  the  end  of  the  second  year, 
1876,  the  figures  stood  :  families  135,  communicants  177, 


14:6       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

elders  9,  Sabbath-school  120,  Bible  Class  45.  In  1878, 
the  statistics  showed  a  still  greater  advance  :  families 
185,  communicants  235,  Sabbath-school  and  Bible  Class 
250,  and  in  addition  to  paying  a  stipend  of  $2000.00,  the 
congregation  contributed  $160.00  to  Home  Missions, 
$75.00  to  French  Evangelization,  and  $400.00  to  benevo- 
lent purposes.  The  last  year  of  Mr.  Robertson's 
pastorate  the  annual  report  recorded  265  families,  with 
an  additional  125  single  persons,  411  communicants, 
Sabbath-school  and  Bible  Class  350,  contributions  to 
Home  Missions  $280.00,  to  schemes  of  the  Church  $532.00, 
to  benevolence  $483.00,  a  total  for  all  purposes  of 
$9,359.00,  no  insignificant  sum  for  such  a  congrega- 
tion. 

With  his  business  men  he  was  simple,  direct  and  manly 
in  his  methods.  His  managers  consulted  him  regularly 
and  his  advice  came  to  be  trusted  and  followed.  He 
despised  the  circuitous  and  ethically  doubtful  methods 
employed  too  often  for  the  raising  of  money  for  church 
purposes.  "  Don't  charge  for  your  social,"  he  said  once 
to  his  Ladies7  Aid  ;  "  when  we  want  money,  I'll  ask  the 
people  for  it  straight."  And  ask  the  people  he  did,  and 
with  such  good  effect  did  he  practice  this  habit,  that 
when  the  large  undertaking  of  building  a  new  church 
was  upon  them,  he  went  to  his  men  and  in  a  single  week 
raised  twelve  thousand  dollars  of  the  twenty-six  thousand 
needed.  That  church  building  was  at  once  a  triumph  of 
architectural  skill  and  test  of  congregational  loyalty  and 
of  ministerial  genius  in  finance. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  it  was  during  his  pastorate  in 
Knox  Church,  that  Mr.  Kobertson  received  that  training 
in  business  method  and  financial  management  that 
proved  so  valuable  to  him  in  his  later  career.  And 
certain  it  is,  too,  that  if  Knox  Church  owed  much  to  his 
leadership  and  his  organizing  genius,  he  owed  much  to 


THE  PASTOR  OF  KNOX  CHURCH        147 

Knox  Church  and  to  the  able  and  vigorous  men  with 
whom  he  was  brought  into  contact  day  by  day  in  his  ad- 
ministration of  the  congregation's  affairs  in  those  stirring 
and  strenuous  times. 


XVIII 

HIS  WIDER  MINISTRY 

WINNIPEG  in  those  days  was  the  Mecca  of  the 
fortune  seeking  and  the  land  hungry  from 
the  older  portions  of  the  Empire  and  from 
other  countries  as  well.  For  all  Scotch  folk,  and  for  all 
folk  of  Presbyterian  extraction,  connection  or  leaning, 
the  Presbyterian  minister  was  the  natural  resort  for  all 
in  need  of  advice,  of  guidance,  of  cheer,  of  aid  financial 
and  other,  and  the  minister's  home  became  a  kind  of 
Immigration  Office,  a  General  Information  Bureau,  an 
Employment  Agency,  an  Institution  for  Universal  Aid. 
This  meant  to  the  minister  that  his  time  and  strength, 
and  often  his  money,  were  at  the  command  of  all  who 
came  to  his  door.  To  his  wife  it  meant  a  good  deal  more. 
For  not  only  did  they  keep  open  house,  but  an  open 
table  as  well.  This  necessitated  a  larder  continually 
stocked,  a  kitchen  never  anything  but  busy.  This  was 
hard  enough  upon  the  mistress  of  the  house,  with  her 
young  family  about  her,  and  her  congregational  duties 
demanding  her  time,  strength  and  thought ;  but  for  all 
ordinary  exigencies  Mrs.  Robertson  was  always  ready. 
But  when  at  the  dinner  hour  her  husband  calmly  ushered 
in  some  half  dozen  or  dozen  hungry  folk,  if  her  nerve 
failed  her  for  the  moment,  what  wonder?  There  was, 
however,  no  breakdown  of  the  spirit  of  hospitality,  and 
no  failure  upon  the  part  of  either  minister  or  minister's 
wife  to  show  kindness  to  the  stranger.  By  the  minister 
this  was  accepted  as  a  part  of  his  regular  duty,  and  as 
affording  a  valuable  opportunity  of  service.  By  the 

148 


HIS  WIDER  MINISTRY  149 

minister's  wife,  as  part  of  the  burden,  not  to  say  cross, 
laid  on  her  as  her  husband's  wife. 

But  through  all  the  years  of  the  Knox  Church 
pastorate  no  immigrant  called  on  Mr.  Robertson  in  vain 
for  aid,  and  none  was  turned  away  from  that  hospitable 
door.  Many  years  afterwards  one  of  these  immigrants, 
remembering  gratefully  his  kindness  to  the  stranger, 
thus  writes : 

"  On  my  arrival  in  Winnipeg  twenty-four  years  ago, 
at  that  time  a  town  of  five  thousand  people,  I  called  on 
Mr.  Robertson  who  was  then  pastor  of  Knox  Church. 
He  came  with  me  at  once  and  guided  me  to  a  desirable 
hotel  where  our  family  of  seven  persons  could  be 
accommodated.  Besides,  he  spent  a  forenoon  in  aiding  me 
to  get  my  effects  through  the  Customs,  a  thing  that  a 
stranger  could  not  do. 

"Nearly  every  day  he  was  called  on  by  some  strangers 
from  the  Old  Land  and  from  our  Eastern  Provinces  with 
many  questions  to  ask,  and  he  patiently  heard  them  and 
intelligently  answered  them.  He  knew  more  of  the 
Prairie  province  than  most  men,  and  newcomers  were 
always  befriended  by  him.  Knox  Church  was  then  a 
large  congregation,  and  rapidly  becoming  larger,  and  de- 
manded much  of  his  time.  But  with  all  the  pressure 
upon  his  time,  he  never  complained  of  being  over- 
burdened in  seeing  to  the  wants  of  newcomers  from  other 
lands. 

"I  know  of  some  instances  of  men  who,  when  they 
came  to  our  Province,  were  short  of  funds.  Though  Mr. 
Robertson  had  no  money  to  spare,  they  came  to  him  in 
their  distress  and  he  handed  them  what  money  they 
wanted.  And  I  have  the  best  of  reasons  to  believe  that 
these  borrowings  were  never  repaid." 

Patience  of  spirit  was  by  no  means  a  striking 
characteristic  of  Mr.  Robertson  in  those  eager,  busy 


150       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

years.  But  for  the  stranger,  lonely,  poor,  heart- sick,  his 
patience  never  failed.  Often  imposed  upon,  he  never 
sent  men  away  without  an  attempt,  at  least,  to  meet  their 
wants.  They  came  to  him  for  meals  and  lodgings,  and  he 
took  them  in.  They  came  seeking  work  and  he  tramped 
the  street  with  them.  They  came  selling  extraordinarily 
unuseful  articles  and  he  purchased  of  them  all.  His 
wife  remembers  one  unhappy  agent  selling  coat  hangers 
from  whom  the  minister  bought  half  a  dozen,  though  at 
the  time  he  had  only  a  single  coat  needing  a  hanger. 
Another  day  a  gentleman  too  proud  to  beg  and  too  honest 
to  borrow,  offers  for  sale  a  pair  of  high  riding  boots.  The 
minister  buys  them  for  $6. 00,  though  he  knows  they  are 
sizes  too  small.  He  is  gaining  experience  and  other 
things  besides,  for  which  he  is  paying  dear,  but  ever 
without  a  grudge.  The  time  will  come  when  in  settle- 
ments far  away  he  will  meet  those  who  will  think  it  joy 
to  serve  him  and  for  his  sake  the  cause  he  loves. 

After  many  years  had  passed,  a  friend  of  his  came 
upon  one  of  those  who  counted  it  honour  to  do  him 
service.  This  friend  writes  : 

"I  drove  up  to  a  comfortable  looking  homestead. 
The  house  was  built  of  logs,  not  grand,  but  comfortable. 
The  barn,  however,  was  truly  magnificent  and  thoroughly 
equipped  with  the  most  up-to-date  appliances  for  scien- 
tific stock-raising.  I  had  never  seen  anything  like  it 
even  among  the  wealthy  farmers  in  Ontario.  The  stables 
were  full  of  horses  and  in  the  fields  far  away  a  large  herd 
of  cattle  could  be  seen.  It  was  evidently  a  farm  of  great 
prosperity,  and  indicated  growing  wealth. 

"  In  the  house  I  found  an  old  Scotch  lady  and  her  two 
sons,  fine  young  fellows.  I  mentioned  the  name  of  Dr. 
Robertson  and  at  once  the  shrewd  old  face  took  on  a 
different  look.  It  seemed  to  fill  up  with  kindness,  and 
she  began  to  talk.  She  had  a  remarkable  story  to  tell. 


HIS  WIDER  MINISTRY  151 

Twenty-one  years  before,  she,  with  her  husband  and  two 
baby  boys,  had  couie  to  Winnipeg.     They  had  not  much 
money,  and  all  they  had  they  invested  in  an  ox-team, 
waggon  and  general  outfit.     They  spent  a  Sunday  at  the 
immigration  sheds  in  Winnipeg.     The  Presbyterian  min- 
ister came  down  to  preach  to  the  immigrants  in  the  after- 
noon.    The  place  was  uncomfortable  and  crowded.     Her 
baby  was  fretful,  and  so  the  mother  sat  outside  the  door  ; 
it  was  a  warm  spring  day,  and  there  she  listened  to  the 
sermon.     She  could  not  see  the  preacher's  face,  but  she 
gave  me  a  good  bit  of  that  sermon.     The  theme  was 
Abraham  and  his  northwest  adventure,  and  the  parallel 
was  drawn  between  him  and  these  people  who  were  about 
to  seek  their  fortune  in  the  West.     The  two  main  thoughts 
that  the  old  lady  carried  with  her  for  these  twenty  years 
were  these :    '  God  is  going  with  you.     Do  not  be  dis- 
couraged.    Never  give  up  hope,7  and  '  You  are  going  to 
make  a  new  country,  build  your  foundations  for  God.7 
She  remembered  the  grip  of  the  minister's  hand  as  next 
day  he  went  with  them  far  out  on  to  the  prairie  to  set 
them  on  their  westward  journey,  and  how  standing  there 
he  bade  them  a  cheery  farewell  and  watched  them  almost 
out  of  sight.     His  words  of  cheer  stood  them  in  good  stead 
on  that  journey.     As  they  neared  the  Portage  plains  they 
found  the  prairie  one  great  wide  expanse  of  black  mud 
and  water  through  which  laden  teams  were  frantically 
struggling,  trying  to  get  through.     Again  and  again  the 
husband  was  forced  to  unload  his  stuff,  the  mother  hold- 
ing her  two  babies  in  the  waggon,  till  at  last  in  despair  he 
was  for  turning  back.     But  the  wife  would  not  hear  of  it. 
The  words  of  the  preacher  rang  in  her  heart,  l  Never 
fear.     God  is  with  you.     Don't  turn  back.7     And  they 
did  not. 

"They  reached    their   location  and  began  to  farm. 
Within  two  years  her  husband  died  and  the  mother  with 


152       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

her  two  little  boys  were  left  alone.  But  the  neighbours 
were  kind.  She  could  get  plenty  of  work  to  do.  She  did 
the  washing  for  the  bachelors  round  about,  and  baked 
bread  for  the  villagers.  She  had  no  one  with  whom  she 
could  leave  the  children,  but  back  and  forward  she  went 
with  her  washing  and  her  bread,  leading  one  child  by  the 
hand  and  carrying  the  other  upon  her  back,  going  bare- 
foot through  the  water  of  the  slough  to  save  her  boots. 

"  Her  people  in  Scotland  were  anxious  to  have  her 
return  home,  but  she  would  not.  She  believed  that  God 
was  with  her  and  that  she  should  not  turn  back.  To-day, 
with  a  section  and  a  half  of  the  best  land  that  the  sun 
shines  on,  with  barn  and  stables,  cattle  and  horses,  she 
has  proved  again  that  God  keeps  His  promises.  And 
often  through  these  years  by  her  devotion  to  the  cause 
he  represented,  has  she  shown  her  gratitude  to  the  min- 
ister who  preached  to  her  in  Winnipeg  that  day  and 
whose  words  upheld  her  for  many  a  day  afterwards. " 

But  many  are  the  stories  that  could  be  told  of  the  wider 
ministry  of  the  pastor  of  Knox  Church  of  that  day  in  be- 
half of  those  needy  immigrants,  and  many  of  these  same 
immigrants,  now  prosperous  merchants  or  wealthy  farmers, 
remember  with  grateful  hearts  and  hearty  greeting,  the 
sympathetic  hearing,  that  firm,  strong,  downward  grip 
of  the  hand  of  the  Presbyterian  minister  of  Winnipeg  to 
whom  they  appealed  for  help  when  help  was  needed,  and 
never  vainly. 


XIX 

FROM  PASTOR  TO  SUPERINTENDENT 

THESE  seven  years  were  years  of  extraordinary 
growth  in  the  country  and  in  the  city  and,  con- 
sequently, in  the  mission  and  college  work  of 
the  Church.  This  remarkable  development  is  clearly  re- 
flected in  the  annual  reports  of  Manitoba  College  and  of 
the  Manitoba  Presbytery's  Home  Mission  Committee,  and 
in  the  reports  of  the  College  and  of  the  Home  Mission 
Committee  of  which  he  was  Convener,  the  hand  of  Bob- 
ertson  is  very  clearly  seen,  as  is  his  influence  apparent 
in  the  directing  and  prosecuting  of  both  these  depart- 
ments of  Western  work. 

At  the  first  General  Assembly  of  the  United  Church  in 
1875,  a  reference  from  the  last  Assembly  of  the  Canada 
Presbyterian  Church  was  brought  forward  by  Mr.  Eob- 
ertson,  asking  permission  to  raise  thirty-five  hundred  dol- 
lars for  the  College.  This  permission  was  granted  and 
the  money  raised,  with  the  result  that  in  the  following 
year  the  College  was  reported  to  be  in  good  condition. 
At  that  General  Assembly  it  was  decreed  that  henceforth 
Manitoba  College  must  stand  upon  its  own  feet  and  must 
no  longer  be  a  charge  upon  the  Home  Mission  fund. 
The  professors  were  reported  as  giving,  with  the  two  set- 
tled pastors,  very  efficient  service  in  the  exploratory  and 
other  Home  Mission  work  of  the  Church.  As  we  read  the 
record  of  the  lives  of  these  men  we  are  amazed  at  the 
extent  and  variety  of  their  labours.  No  man  is  allowed 
to  devote  himself  exclusively  to  his  own  special  depart- 

153 


154       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  EOBERTSON 

ment.  Every  professor  is  a  home  missionary  taking  his 
full  share  of  the  toil  and  dangers  inseparable  from  the 
work.  Similarly,  Robertson,  besides  his  congregational 
duties  and  that  wider  ministry  in  behalf  of  the  incoming 
settlers,  began,  in  the  year  1877,  a  course  of  lectures  in 
Manitoba  College  which  he  continued  for  a  number  of 
years.  In  this  year,  too,  he  was  made  a  member  of  the 
College  board,  and  took  his  full  share  in  the  administra- 
tion of  College  affairs.  He  also  took  an  important  part 
in  the  founding  of  the  University  of  Manitoba  and  in 
bringing  about  the  affiliation  of  the  College  with  that  in- 
stitution. This  proved  to  be  a  great  uplift  to  Manitoba 
College,  and  at  once  the  Presbyterian  constituency  in  the 
West  began  to  take  a  new  pride  in  their  College  and  to 
plan  for  its  expansion.  But  the  same  year  saw  the  terri- 
ble grasshopper  plague  which  swept  the  country  bare, 
and  so  reduced  the  revenue  that  it  became  necessary  for 
the  College  to  report  a  serious  financial  deficit.  At  once 
there  rose  a  cry  for  retrenchment,  but  to  this  Mr.  Robert- 
son would  not  listen,  and  set  about  a  vigorous  campaign 
for  further  expansion  which,  however,  owing  to  circum- 
stances over  which  he  had  no  control,  was  only  partially 
successful. 

But  though  the  College  made  heavy  demands  upon  him, 
and  though  he  gave  himself  with  all  diligence  to  his 
multifarious  congregational  and  other  duties  as  minister 
of  Knox  Church,  it  was  the  Home  Mission  work  that, 
more  than  any  other,  pressed  hardest  upon  him  during 
these  years.  It  was  characteristic  of  him  that  at  his  first 
Presbytery  meeting,  before  he  himself  was  inducted,  he 
was  found  earnestly  advocating  a  plan  for  the  maintain- 
ing of  work  in  the  Prince  Albert  district,  vacated  by  the 
death  of  Mr.  Nisbet. 

"When  I  wrote  you  last,  I  was  talking  of  going  to 
Portage  la  Prairie  to  help  to  license  and  ordain  Mr. 


FROM  PASTOR  TO  SUPERINTENDENT    155 

McKellar  to  send  him  away  to  Prince  Albert  mission. 
As  you  will  recollect,  Mr.  Nisbet,  who  was  our  first  mis- 
sionary to  that  district,  died  a  short  time  ago.  His  wife 
was  taken  ill  and  he  came  down  here  with  her.  The  five 
hundred  mile  journey  was  too  much  for  her  and  she  died. 
He  was  reduced  very  much  owing  to  the  fatigue  incident 
to  the  journey,  and  through  care  and  anxiety  in  refer- 
ence to  his  wife.  Her  death  was  too  great  a  blow  for 
him  and  he  followed  her  in  about  two  weeks.  The  mis- 
sion in  the  West  was  thus  left  without  a  pastor.  The 
Presbytery  of  Manitoba  tried  to  get  Mr.  Donaldson  sent, 
but  the  Foreign  Mission  Committee  objected.  Things 
thus  indicated  that  the  mission  was  to  be  without  any 
supply  during  winter.  On  my  way  here  I  heard  that 

Dr.  M was  going  west,  and  to  make  Prince  Albert 

his  headquarters  for  the  winter.  He  is  a  dangerous  man, 
and  were  he  among  these  simple-minded  people  for  a 
winter  doing  all  he  could  to  wean  them  away,  I  feared 

for  the  future  of  our  mission. ' '    Needless  to  say,  Dr.  M 

was  not  a  Presbyterian.  "  At  the  meeting  of  Presbytery 
I  proposed  to  license  and  ordain  Mr.  McKellar  if  he 
would  accept  a  call  from  our  Presbytery.  Professor 
Bryce  was  instructed  to  communicate  with  him,  the  Pres- 
bytery falling  in  with  the  suggestion  made.  The  Presby- 
tery agreed  to  adjourn  to  meet  in  Portage  la  Prairie. 
Mr.  McKellar  accepted  and  we  went  west  and  all  things 
were  arranged.  We  got  all  necessary  outfit  for  him  at 
the  Portage,  and  he  holds  himself  in  readiness  to  go  west 
at  once.  There  is  a  Mr.  McDonald  down  here  just  now 
from  Fort  Ellice,  and  I  have  made  arrangements  with  him 
to  take  him  west  with  him  and  to  put  him  on  the  other 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  as  soon  as  possible.  Dr. 

M would  go  too  with  Mr.  McDonald,  but  he  would 

not  take  him.  I  expect  he  will  get  west  some  way,  but 
McKellar  will  be  before  him  and  can  counteract  any- 


156       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

thing  he  may  try  to  do  there.  I  am  not  sure  how  the 
Foreign  Mission  Committee  will  take  the  matter,  but  can- 
not help  it  unless  we  were  willing  to  endanger  the  exist- 
ence of  our  mission.  We  can,  I  think,  justify  our 
course." 

Without  a  doubt  he  can  justify  his  course  in  this  in- 
stance and  in  many  others  to  follow.  Mr.  Robertson  is 
keenly  zealous  for  his  Church.  He  heartily  believes  in  it 
as  a  democratic  institution  eminently  suited  to  the  needs 
of  a  new  country  and  holding  a  creed  which,  entering 
into  the  thought  and  feeling  of  a  people,  will  do  much  to 
establish  it  in  righteousness.  Hence,  while  being  fair 
and  honourable  with  other  denominations,  he  gives  him- 
self heart  and  soul  to  the  extension  and  consolidation  of 
his  own.  And  once  having  planted  "  the  blue  banner  " 
in  any  position  of  importance,  he  will  not  see  it  lowered 
without  a  fight.  He  is  out  and  out,  and  very  frankly,  a 
Presbyterian,  and  by  all  honourable  means  he  will  main- 
tain the  Presbyterian  cause  where  he  can.  In  a  letter  to 
his  wife  he  writes  : 

*  *  I  think  I  told  you  in  my  last  letter  that  Mr.  Currie 
was  to  go  west  to  Palestine.  He  has  gone  and  is  to  re- 
main there  all  winter.  Last  week  Mr.  Black  of  Kildonan 
and  myself  were  at  Headingly  consulting  about  building 
another  church  and  changing  the  site.  Matters  pro- 
gressed a  good  deal,  and  we  expect  to  go  up  another  day 
and  finish.  I  find  that  things  of  that  kind  are  left  to  my- 
self when  sent  out.  Mr.  Black  did  nothing  but  sit  and 
listen."  Well  he  has  earned  the  right  to  sit  and  listen. 
Let  the  younger  brother  do  battle.  "  We  had  three  hun- 
dred dollars  subscribed  on  the  spot  and  a  grant  of  an 
acre  for  a  new  church.  We  appointed  two  arbitrators 
to  decide  how  much  the  old  site  and  the  church  are  worth, 
and  the  man  on  whose  land  it  is  promises  to  take  it  off 
our  hands  at  that  figure.  Am  going  to  suggest  that  they 


FROM  PASTOR  TO  SUPERINTENDENT    157 

have  a  Tea  Meeting  which  may  get  one  hundred  dollars 
for  them  without  much  trouble." 

The  habit  is  growing  on  Presbytery  unobserved,  as  is 
the  case  with  all  habits,  of  laying  upon  the  minister  of 
Knox  Church  the  burden  of  Home  Mission  work,  not  be- 
cause he  has  any  less  to  do  than  others,  nor  simply  be- 
cause he  is  the  minister  of  the  leading  congregation  in 
the  West,  and  not  solely  because  he  is  the  Convener  of 
the  Home  Mission  Committee,  but  because  he  is  rapidly 
developing  a  genius  for  administration,  a  capacity  for 
swift,  concentrated  action,  and,  more  than  all,  he  has 
burning  in  his  heart  a  kind  of  passion  of  responsibility 
for  the  incoming  settlers  belonging  to  his  own  Church 
and  for  the  future  of  the  country  they  are  helping  to 
build. 

About  this  time  we  catch  the  first  notes,  low  and  still 
distant,  of  those  contending  cries  on  the  one  hand  of  ap- 
peal from  the  vigorous  and  growing  child  in  the  West 
and,  on  the  other,  of  warning  protest  from  the  nurturing 
mother  in  the  East.  It  was  in  this  year,  too,  that  Robert- 
son began  his  long  series  of  railroad  missions.  In  one  of 
his  missionary  journeys  a  hundred  miles  east  of  Winni- 
peg, he  discovered  a  thousand  men  working  within 
twenty  miles  of  the  line,  with  no  opportunity  for  religious 
privileges  of  any  kind.  He  held  a  meeting  with  them  ; 
got  promises  from  the  men  for  seventy  dollars  a  month 
for  the  support  of  a  missionary,  board  and  lodging 
promised  by  the  contractor,  and  thus  established  his  first 
railway  mission.  This  mission  in  the  year  following  con- 
tributed nine  hundred  dollars  towards  the  work,  and 
called  for  a  second  man. 

The  Home  Mission  operations  of  1878,  as  reported  to  the 
Assembly,  were  shown  to  extend  from  Rat  Portage  for 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles  west,  and  from  the  bound- 
ary line  to  Battleford,  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles 


158       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

north.  Over  this  territory  forty-four  mission  fields  have 
been  carried  on  and  many  more  were  reported  as  wait- 
ing to  be  opened  up,  the  liberality  of  the  settlers  being 
abundantly  attested  by  their  voluntarily  contributing  out 
of  their  scanty  means  almost  ten  thousand  dollars. 

And  now  with  each  succeeding  report  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  Manitoba,  we  begin  to  get  visions  of  new  fields 
ever  opening  up  on  the  horizon  of  unclaimed  territory  far 
beyond  where,  Mr.  Robertson  addressing  the  Church, 
says,  "your  children  are  making  for  themselves  homes 
and  are  in  danger  of  being  neglected  and  forgotten." 
We  begin  to  hear  now  those  tales  of  heroic  endurance  on 
the  part  of  the  prairie  missionary  with  which  in  later 
days  we  are  to  become  so  familiar ;  of  his  long  journeys 
from  five  to  fifty  miles  on  a  Sabbath  day,  of  his  facing 
the  perils  of  frosts  and  blizzards  and  of  his  cheerful 
courage  through  it  all. 

When  the  Home  Mission  report  for  the  Manitoba  Pres- 
bytery for  1880  was  presented,  the  General  Assembly  for 
the  first  time  seemed  to  become  aware  of  what  had  been 
happening  during  the  past  ten  years.  The  Presbytery's 
western  limit  of  the  previous  year  had  been  pushed  back 
some  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  by  the  demand  of  far- 
off  Edmonton  for  a  missionary.  In  the  report  for  this 
year  occur  the  noble  words  breathing  high  statesmanship 
and  high  devotion  :  "  Presbytery  realizes  that  the  first 
missionary  who  appears  in  any  field  obtains  most  impor- 
tant hold.  Presbytery  regards  it  as  wise  and  most  hon- 
ouring to  Christ,  that  so  soon  as  any  considerable  num- 
ber of  people  are  settled  together,  the  pioneer  Presby- 
terian missionary  should  visit  them  and  collect  the  people 
at  central  points  for  prayer  and  praise  in  the  open,  or  in 
a  log  dwelling  of  some  godly  settler.  As  soon  as  any 
region  is  fairly  settled  the  Presbytery  aims  to  send  a  resi- 
dent missionary.  The  missionary  on  an  average  can 


FROM  PASTOR  TO  SUPERINTENDENT    159 

overtake  fifty  or  sixty  families  scattered  among  four  or 
five  stations. " 

The  Assembly  awakens  to  the  fact  that  the  work  in  the 
West  must  henceforth  be  taken  very  seriously.  The 
Manitoba  Presbytery  this  year  spends  nine  thousand  four 
hundred  dollars  in  their  Home  Mission  field,  and  still  the 
call  is  for  more  men  and  more  money.  The  following 
year,  1881,  the  crisis  is  reached.  It  is  a  year  of  great 
material  progress  throughout  the  whole  West.  The  Pres- 
bytery has  increased  its  staff  of  workers  by  fourteen,  em- 
ploying in  all  twenty-one  ordained  missionaries  and  fif- 
teen catechists.  A  thousand  miles  beyond  Winnipeg  the 
field  has  been  occupied,  but  on  every  side,  from  southern 
Manitoba,  from  the  west  and  from  the  northwest,  still 
rises  the  cry  for  workers.  To  the  Presbytery  the  situa- 
tion appears  desperate.  Never  in  the  history  of  the 
Church  has  a  Presbytery  been  entrusted  with  so  vast  a 
field,  and  with  such  enormous  responsibilities.  With 
everything  that  they  have  been  able  to  achieve  in  the 
way  of  supplying  settlements,  the  Presbytery  is  painfully 
conscious  of  much  work  lying  undone  and  many  districts 
lying  neglected.  Professors,  pastors,  missionaries  and 
catechists  are  all  working  to  the  limit  of  their  powers, 
and  yet  whole  sections  of  the  country  are  unorganized 
and  unexplored.  The  Presbytery  determines  upon  a 
bold  step.  The  extraordinary  need  must  be  met  by  ex- 
traordinary means.  After  much  deliberation  an  overture 
is  prepared  and  sent  forward  to  General  Assembly,  pray- 
ing for  the  appointment  of  a  Superintendent  of  Missions 
over  the  field  occupied  by  the  Presbytery.  Anent  the 
overture,  the  veteran  pioneer  missionary  from  the  West, 
Dr.  Black,  is  invited  to  address  the  Assembly.  In  a 
speech  of  remarkable  force,  lacking  though  he  is  in  phys- 
ical vigour,  Dr.  Black  supports  the  overture. 

The  prayer  is  granted.    A  committee  consisting  of  Dr, 


160       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Waters,  Convener,  Dr.  Cochrane,  Messrs.  Pitblado,  King, 
Macdonnell,  Black,  Warden,  ministers,  and  Messrs. 
Laurie,  Vidal,  McMicken,  Munns,  elders,  was  appointed. 
The  committee  recommend  that  James  Robertson,  pres- 
ently pastor  of  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg,  be  appointed 
Superintendent  of  Missions  in  the  Northwest,  his  salary 
to  be  two  thousand  dollars,  this  to  cover  all  expenses 
while  he  may  be  labouring  in  Manitoba  or  the  immediate 
neighbourhood.  Journeys  to  distant  points  such  as  Ed- 
monton to  be  paid  by  the  Assembly's  Home  Mission 
Committee. 

The  appointment  of  Assembly  is  telegraphed  to  Mr. 
Robertson  where,  toiling  at  his  work  alone,  for  his  wife 
and  family  are  in  the  East,  he  finds  himself  summoned  to 
make  one  of  the  most  momentous  decisions  of  his  life. 


XX 

FAREWELL  TO  THE  PASTORATE 

WITH  the  Assembly's  telegram  in  his  hand,  Mr. 
Eobertson  summons  his  Session,  and  together 
they  deliberate  upon  this  most  momentous 
call.  The  Session  had  been  more  or  less  prepared  for 
some  such  action  of  Assembly.  Long  before  he  was  ap- 
pointed Superintendent  their  pastor  had  been  superin- 
tending. They  knew  well  enough  that  though  the  Pres- 
bytery's overture  made  no  nomination  for  the  office,  there 
was  only  one  man  to  whom  the  West  would  intrust  their 
missions,  and  only  one  man  fit  for  the  work.  Impressed 
as  they  are  with  the  necessities  of  Knox  Church,  Winni- 
peg, the  greater  necessities  of  the  vast  mission  field  of 
the  West  impressed  them  more  deeply.  The  Church  had 
called  their  minister  to  a  larger  and  more  important 
sphere  of  labour.  With  affection  and  regret,  therefore, 
but  without  hesitation,  they  advised  his  acceptance  of  the 
appointment.  He  wired  the  Assembly  his  decision.  He 
will  accept  the  appointment,  but  stipulates  that  his  salary 
be  that  of  Manitoba  College  professors,  with  all  travelling 
expenses  added.  In  a  letter  to  his  wife  who,  with  the 
family,  had  gone  on  a  visit  to  her  home  in  Eastern 
Canada,  he  describes  his  line  of  action  and  discusses  a 
little  the  future.  It  is  dated  from  the  Manse,  Winnipeg, 
June  16,  1881 : 

"  MY  DEAR  WIFE  :  — 

"  Your  letter  bearing  intelligence  of  your  safe  arrival 
at  home  I  just  received.     The  notes  of  the  children  from 

161 


162       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

St.  Paul  I  also  received.  From  Chicago  I  heard  through 
Mrs.  Hart.  I  was  glad  to  find  that  you  all  got  down 
there  so  well,  and  hope  the  stay  there  may  do  you  all 
good.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  it  will  be  protracted 
beyond  our  first  anticipations.  As  you  will  have  learned 
ere  this  reaches  you,  I  have  been  appointed  Superintend  - 
dent  of  Missions  in  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  by  the 
unanimous  vote  of  the  Assembly.  I  have  accepted  the 
appointment.  Would  like  to  have  communicated  with 
you  ere  taking  the  final  step,  but  the  Assembly's  call  was 
urgent  and  there  was  no  time  to  write.  I  called  the  Ses- 
sion together  on  receipt  of  telegram  and  consulted  with 
them.  They  regarded  the  offer  as  a  step  in  advance  and 
would  not  oppose  the  wish  of  the  Assembly,  thinking  it 
useless.  They  regarded  me  as  the  most  fit  man  for  the 
position,  the  most  fit,  they  thought,  in  the  Church.  They 
considered  the  office  necessary  in  the  interests  of  the 
Church,  and  telegraphed  to  this  effect  to  the  Assembly. 
The  salary  offered  was  two  thousand  dollars  and  I  was  to 
pay  my  own  travelling  expenses.  After  maturely  con- 
sidering the  question,  I  telegraphed  '  Accept  call  of  As- 
sembly, but  cannot  live  here  respectably  on  conditions 
stated.  Make  salary  equivalent  to  that  of  professors  of 
Manitoba  College  and  travelling  expenses.7  To  this 
Cochrane  replied  at  once,  'You  are  appointed  on  con- 
dition stated  and  will  enter  on  work  in  July/  He  is 
coming  out  here  to  induct  or  help  induct.  I  will  arrange 
as  soon  as  convenient  for  going  over  all  the  fields,  return- 
ing here  in  the  fall,  after  which  I  will  likely  go  east  to 
spend  the  winter.  ...  I  regret  much  that  I  shall  be 
away  from  home  a  great  deal.  This  cannot  be  helped." 
How  little  either  of  them  guessed  how  pathetically  pro- 
phetic of  their  future  experience  were  these  words  !  The 
future  is  to  them  quite  unknown.  They  had  made  ar- 
rangements for  the  building  of  a  house  and  the  establish- 


FAREWELL  TO  THE  PASTORATE        163 

ing  of  a  home  in  Winnipeg.  "  What  now  about  build- 
ing? "  he  writes.  "  Am  I  to  go  on  at  once  and  build,  or 
to  postpone  till  next  year?  The  money  for  the  house 
has  been  paid  and  I  can  proceed,  but  if  you  are  to  stay 
down  all  summer  and  I  am  to  go  down  in  the  fall,  it 
would  seem  as  if  we  had  better  postpone  building  till 
next  year.  You  could  get  a  house  in  Woodstock  and  the 
children  could  go  to  school  there.  But  when  you  write 
you  could  let  me  know  what  you  think  of  the  new  situa- 
tion. As  you  see,  I  am  yet  in  the  manse.  They  are  in 
no  hurry  fixing  it  up.  I  make  my  own  bed  and  clean 
my  own  boots  and  fix  up  my  own  room,  and  board  at  the 
Queen's.  Time  will  decide  my  future.77 

The  parting  from  Knox  Church  was  not  without  pain 
to  minister  and  people.  The  congregation  were  losing 
their  first  minister  and  he  had  made  them  what  they 
were.  The  minister  was  severing  the  bond  that  had  been 
strong  enough  to  draw  him  to  this  new  land  and  had 
grown  stronger  during  the  seven  years  of  his  labour  in  it. 
But  to  both  people  and  minister  the  feeling  that  the 
Church  had  called  him  to  a  wider  sphere  and  to  higher 
work,  made  acquiescence  easier.  To  the  congregation 
the  loss  of  their  pastor  at  that  particular  period  in  their 
history  was  a  serious  blow.  The  line  of  cleavage  between 
the  two  elements  in  the  congregation  was  still  pretty 
clearly  defined.  Indeed,  many  feared  that  once  the  strong 
unifying  personality  of  the  minister  was  removed,  disin- 
tegration would  ensue.  Happily  these  fears  were  ground- 
less, though  to  a  certain  extent  they  were  shared  by  the 
minister  himself.  Writing  to  his  wife  soon  after  his  ap- 
pointment he  says  : 

' '  There  are  elements  in  the  congregation  that  are  diffi- 
cult to  manage.  They  may  now  divide  according  to  their 
predilections.  The  Knox  Church  part  may  try  to  get  a 
Kirk  minister,  while  the  other  will  likely  get  an  Old 


164       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  EOBERTSON 

Canada  Presbyterian.  In  any  case  I  fear  that  a  division 
is  inevitable  and  perhaps  this  will  help  the  matter.  I 
am  sorry  to  part  with  a  congregation  which  I  was  to  so 
large  a  degree  instrumental  in  building  up." 

The  affection  and  the  regret  with  which  his  people  bade 
him  farewell  find  expression  in  various  addresses  and 
presentations.  The  address  from  the  Session  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  To  THE  REV.  JAMES  ROBERTSON  : 

"  In  taking  leave  of  you  on  your  entrance  upon  the  re- 
sponsible duties  of  Superintendent  of  Missions  in  Manitoba  and 
the  Northwest,  we  as  a  congregation  desire  to  express  our 
heartfelt  appreciation  of  the  services  which,  as  our  pastor,  you 
have  rendered  us  during  the  past  seven  years. 

"When  your  pastorate  began  we  were  a  mere  handful,  and 
worshipped  in  a  small,  plain  structure.  Under  God  you  have 
been  the  means  of  building  up  a  large  congregation,  and  to 
your  perseverance  and  energy  was  largely  due  the  erection  of 
our  present  beautiful  place  of  worship.  Your  genuine  piety, 
courteous  manners,  and  deep  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  all 
with  whom  you  came  in  contact,  have  won  you  lasting  grati- 
tude. The  afflicted  and  the  stranger  have  always  found  you  a 
true  friend  and  wise  counsellor.  Many  of  your  self-denying 
acts  are  known  to  your  friends,  but  we  are  satisfied  that  very 
many  are  known  only  to  yourself  and  to  Him  who  seeth  all 
things. 

"  In  addition  to  the  various  duties  of  your  pastorate,  you 
have  responded  to  the  calls  that  came  to  you  from  time  to  time 
to  take  an  active  part  in  the  educational  interests  of  our  coun- 
try, in  temperance,  and  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  general 
weal. 

"  We  wish  you  Godspeed  in  your  new  and  honourable 
sphere  of  labour,  and  *  Now  the  God  of  peace  that  brought 
again  from  the  dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  that  great  Shepherd  of  the 
sheep,  through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  make  you 
perfect  in  every  good  work  to  do  His  will,  working  in  you  that 
which  is  well  pleasing  in  His  sight,  through  Jesus  Christ ;  to 
whom  be  glory  forever  and  ever.  Amen.' 

(Signed)  "  THOMAS  HART,  M.  A.,  B.  D., 

"  Session  Clerk." 


FAREWELL  TO  THE  PASTORATE        165 

"Without  a  doubt  the  fineness  of  touch  in  the  diction  of 
this  address  and  the  warmth  of  affection  breathing 
through  its  words,  reveal  the  hand  of  that  very  fine 
Christian  gentleman  who  was  the  minister'  sfidus  Achates, 
Professor  Hart.  And  few  things  in  this  period  of  Mr. 
Robertson's  life  are  more  beautiful  than  his  affection  for 
the  man  who,  when  he  might  have  easily  allowed  himself 
to  be  prejudiced  by  his  sense  of  loyalty  to  his  own  Kirk 
against  him  who  represented  another  Church,  received 
him  instead  with  generous  affection  and  stood  by  him 
with  unshaken  loyalty,  then  and  through  all  the  follow- 
ing years  during  which  it  was  given  these  two  to  live  and 
work  together. 

But  nothing  touched  the  minister  more  than  the  fare- 
well of  the  ladies  of  the  congregation.  Loyally  had  they 
stood  by  him,  and  with  unwearied  fidelity  had  they  toiled 
with  him  in  the  varied  departments  of  work  represented 
in  the  congregation.  In  those  days  the  men  were  often 
so  absorbed  in  the  rush  and  crush  of  business  that  much 
of  their  work  as  members  of  the  Church  had  been  rele- 
gated too  often  to  their  wives  and  daughters.  But  nobly 
had  they  answered  to  the  often  unreasonable  demands  of 
the  congregation,  and  without  faltering  they  had  followed 
the  leadership  of  their  pastor.  Their  devotion  to  him 
and  their  regret  at  his  departure  found  expression  in  the 
following  address,  which  was  accompanied  by  a  gift  of 
$632.00 : 

"  To  THE  REV.  JAMES  ROBERTSON,  SUPERINTENDENT  OF  MIS- 
SIONS FOR  MANITOBA  AND  THE  NORTHWEST  : 

"  We,  the  ladies  of  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg,  cannot 
allow  the  tie  to  be  severed  that  has  bound  us,  pastor  and  peo- 
ple, without  expressing  to  you  on  behalf  of  the  congregation 
our  appreciation  of  your  devoted  services  during  the  past  seven 
years. 

"  The  congregation  at  the  beginning  of  your  pastorate  was 
small  in  number  and  very  poorly  provided  for  the  work  of  ad- 


166       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

vancing  Christ's  cause  in  the  then  unorganized  community  in 
which  our  lot  was  cast. 

"  We  rejoice  to  acknowledge  your  services  to  the  congrega- 
tion in  the  very  earnest  assistance  given  by  you  in  the  erection 
of  our  church  building,  which  has  been  a  credit  to  the  city  and 
a  factor  in  advancing  our  cause. 

"  We  remember  gratefully  your  attention  to  your  duties  at 
the  three  turning  points  of  life — morning,  noon,  and  night — 
when,  in  performing  the  initiatory  ordinance  of  our  Church,  in 
uniting  together  kindred  hearts,  and  in  performing  the  last  sad 
rites,  you  were  always  willing  to  lend  your  aid. 

"  We  would  thank  you  for  the  faithful  instruction  given 
from  the  sacred  desk,  for  the  instruction  given  to  the  young  of 
the  congregation,  and  the  private  advice  so  affectionately  given 
to  the  disconsolate  or  the  wayward. 

"  We  regret  at  the  present  time  the  absence  of  your  beloved 
partner  in  life,  who  has  with  such  kindness  and  at  great  per- 
sonal sacrifice,  done  her  duties  in  a  quiet  and  unobtrusive 
manner  as  pastor's  wife. 

"  We  congratulate  you  on  the  high  honour  paid  you  in  the 
unanimous  call  given  by  the  highest  court  of  our  Church,  to 
the  office  which  you  now  occupy.  We  feel  it  to  be  a  matter  of 
great  importance  to  our  cause  at  the  present  time,  to  have  one 
so  well  fitted  as  yourself  for  the  work  of  advancing  the  rapidly 
spreading  principles  which  we  profess,  in  the  great  Northwest, 
and  knowing  that  an  expensive  outfit  is  necessary  for  your 
onerous  work,  we  beg  that  you  will  accept,  as  conveyed  by  the 
gentlemen  of  the  congregation  through  our  hands,  this  purse  of 
$632. 

"  We  pray  that  God's  blessing  may  still  attend  you ;  that 
you  may  be  preserved  safe  in  your  abundant  labours,  and  that 
you  may  have  an  ( inheritance  among  all  them  that  are 
sanctified.' 

(Signed)  "  JANE  AGNEW, 

"  SAIDIE  McKiLLiGAN, 
•     "M,  BRYCE." 


In  connection  with  the  presentation  of  this  purse  an  in- 
cident occurred  that  cut  Robertson  to  the  quick  and 
aroused  very  considerable  feeling  at  the  time  among  the 
people.  By  two  of  the  speakers  on  the  occasion  of  the 


FAREWELL  TO  THE  PASTORATE        167 

presentation,  this  gift  was  referred  to  as  being  intended 
for  the  purchase  of  an  outfit  for  the  new  Superintendent. 
This  interpretation  was  immediately  and  strongly  re- 
pudiated by  the  ladies  who  had  solicited  the  subscriptions 
in  the  following  note  sent  soon  after  the  meeting  was 
held: 

"  Winnipeg,  July  27,  1881. 

"  A  difference  of  opinion  having  been  expressed  as  to  the  ob- 
ject for  which  subscriptions  were  solicited  for  a  purse  to  be 
presented  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robertson,  we  beg  to  say  that  the 
money  was  obtained  for  Mr.  Robertson's  personal  benefit 
absolutely. 

(Signed)  "  SAIDIE  MCKILLIGAN, 

"JANE  AGNES  BEATRICE BATHGATE, 
"  LIZZIE  GERRIE, 

"MARGARET  A.  McLEAN, 
"SARAH  LAPP, 

"ELIZABETH  A.  LAIDLAW." 


These  ladies  had  no  intention  of  making  contribution  to 
the  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee.  Not  they. 
Their  gift  was  to  their  minister  whom  they  loved,  and 
they  determined  that  there  should  be  no  uncertainty  in 
the  matter. 

Mr.  Robertson's  farewell  sermon  was  preached  to  a 
densely  crowded  congregation  on  the  24th  of  July,  1881. 
His  text  was  Philippians  1 :  27  :  "  Only  let  your  conver- 
sation be  as  it  becometh  the  Gospel  of  Christ:  that 
whether  I  come  and  see  you,  or  else  be  absent,  I  may 
hear  of  your  affairs  that  ye  stand  fast  in  one  spirit,  with 
one  mind  striving  together  for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel. " 

It  was  a  brief  but  comprehensive  statement  of  the  prog- 
ress of  the  city,  the  country  and  the  congregation  dur- 
ing the  seven  years  of  his  pastorate,  and  closed  with  an 
earnest  appeal  to  the  congregation  to  be  worthy  of  their 
great  opportunity  to  measure  up  to  their  responsibility  as 


168       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

the  premier  congregation  of  this  new  country,  and  with  a 
few  words  of  affectionate  farewell. 

From  the  Ladies'  Missionary  and  Charitable  Associa- 
tions there  came  the  following  address,  which  was  accom- 
panied by  the  gift  of  a  valuable  gold  chain  : 

"  To  THE    REV.    JAMES    ROBERTSON,    SUPERINTENDENT  OF 
MISSIONS  FOR  MANITOBA  AND  THE  NORTHWEST  : 

"  We,  the  ladies  representing  the  Missionary  and  Chari- 
table Associations  of  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg,  beg  to  present 
to  you,  on  beginning  the  important  duties  to  which  you  have 
been  called  in  behalf  of  the  missions  of  our  Church,  our  warm- 
est congratulations.  We  believe  that  the  work  of  our  Church 
for  missions  is  but  in  its  infancy ;  that  we  have  not  yet  begun  to 
realize  the  importance  and  urgency  of  our  Saviour's  command, 
1  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  crea- 
ture.' We  feel  that  at  the  threshold  of  the  great  Northwest 
especially,  an  important  duty  rests  on  us  of  sending  the  Gospel 
to  our  fellow  countrymen  who  are  settling  on  these  wide  prairies, 
and  also  to  the  wandering  tribes  who  are  crying  at  .our  doors. 

"  We  regret  that  our  efforts  have  resulted  in  raising  so  little 
means  in  the  past,  but  we  rejoice  that  in  your  appointment  there 
has  been  recognized  the  importance  of  this  great  work,  by  call- 
ing one  so  useful  as  you  are  to  this  sphere. 

"But  while  this  is  the  case,  we  would  not  forget  the  past. 
We  are  glad  to  know  that  it  is  your  intention  still  to  reside  in 
our  midst.  We  pray  for  the  speedy  return  to  health  and 
strength  of  your  beloved  partner  in  life,  and  your  family. 

"  Be  pleased  to  accept  this  chain  in  memory  of  past  associa- 
tions, and  kindly  regard  it  as  a  token  of  our  desire  that  we  may 
be  still  closely  joined  together  in  the  mission  work  of  the 
Church,  and  that  you  and  yours  may  be  bound  up  with  us  in 
the  same  bundle  of  life  and  may  reach  the  same  heavenly  home. 
(Signed)  "JANEAGNEW, 

"  SAIDIE  MCKILLIGAN, 
"  MARY  A.  SWINFORD, 
"  ELIZABETH  A.  LAIDLAW, 
"  MRS.  LAPP, 
"MRS.  J.  P.  ROBERTSON, 
"M.  BRYCE. 
"July  26th,  1 88 1." 


FAREWELL  TO  THE  PASTORATE        169 

On  July  22d  the  Manitoba  Presbytery  met  at  Portage 
la  Prairie  and  made  arrangements  for  the  induction  of 
Mr.  Robertson  into  his  new  office.  In  severing  the  pas- 
toral tie  between  the  minister  and  congregation  of  Knox 
Church,  Presbytery,  in  a  formal  resolution,  took  the  op- 
portunity of  recording  its  high  appreciation  of  the  serv- 
ice rendered  by  Mr.  Robertson  not  only  to  the  congrega- 
tion and  the  community,  but  to  the  whole  Church  in  the 
West,  and  expressed  the  most  earnest  hopes  for  his  suc- 
cess in  his  new  work.  For  the  most  part  there  was  en- 
thusiastic approval  of  the  appointment,  though  there  were 
not  wanting  those  who  predicted  difficulties,  constitu- 
tional and  other,  in  the  working  of  the  new  office. 

The  induction  of  Mr.  Robertson  to  his  new  position  was 
deemed  by  the  Presbyterian  Church  an  event  of  sufficient 
importance  to  warrant  the  appointing  of  a  special  Com- 
mission for  this  purpose,  consisting  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Cochrane,  Convener  of  the  Home  Mission  Committee,  and 
the  Rev.  George  Bruce  of  St.  Catharines.  Others  took 
part  in  the  interesting  function,  among  them  Professor 
Hart  and  Rev.  A.  Bell.  The  service  was  held  on  the 
evening  of  July  26th,  in  Knox  Church,  with  Professor 
Bryce  in  the  chair. 

In  the  eloquent  address  of  the  Convener  of  the  Home 
Mission  Committee  occurs  this  very  significant  sentence  : 
"  To  Mr.  Robertson  is  due  largely  the  present  standing  of 
Presbyterianism  in  Winnipeg  and  the  great  Northwest. " 
The  Convener,  at  least,  of  the  Committee  that  has  had 
charge  of  this  vast  and  growing  work  has  had  borne  in 
upon  him  something  of  the  magnitude  of  the  toils  en- 
dured and  the  service  rendered  to  the  Church  and  to  the 
Western  country  by  the  minister  of  Knox  Church  during 
the  seven  years  of  his  pastorate.  It  will  be  some  years 
yet,  however,  before  he  will  come  to  his  own  with  the 
Church  as  a  whole. 


170       THE 'LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Thus,  carrying  with  him  the  affection  of  his  people  to 
whom  he  has  ministered  for  seven  years,  the  gratitude  of 
the  Committee  which  he  has  served  with  such  conspicuous 
success,  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  Presbytery  of 
which  he  has  been  for  these  years  a  guide  and  leader,  the 
Superintendent  enters  upon  his  new  sphere  of  labour,  not 
without  his  fears  and  misgivings,  but  conscious  of  a  high 
resolve  to  do  his  best  to  serve  his  country  and  his  God  as 
opportunity  may  be  his. 


XXI 

GETTING  INTO  THE  SADDLE 

FOR  ten  years  the  fame  of  the  Canadian  West  had 
been  spreading  abroad,  not  only  throughout  East- 
ern Canada,  but  across  the  sea  to  European  coun- 
tries as  well.  Year  by  year  the  volume  of  immigration 
had  been  growing  steadily.  In  1878,  the  railroad  from 
the  south  reached  St.  Boniface.  It  was  not  until  1881, 
however,  that  it  crossed  the  Bed  Eiver  and  entered  the 
capital  city  of  Manitoba.  "With  the  advent  of  the  rail- 
way to  the  Province,  the  growth  of  immigration  was 
vastly  increased.  Settlers  poured  in,  with  money  and 
without  money,  filled  up  the  vacant  spaces  about  the  city, 
all  demanding  homes  and  building  sites,  and  passed 
through  and  out  of  the  city  by  the  trails  leading  south, 
west  and  north,  buying  land,  securing  homesteads  and 
squatting  on  claims.  Colonization  companies,  land  syndi- 
cates, railroads,  were  all  smitten  with  the  fever  of  land 
speculation.  In  consequence,  prices  rose  enormously,  till 
the  climax  was  reached  in  the  famous  "  boom  "  of  1881. 

The  stories  that  float  down  to  us  from  the  days  of  the 
Winnipeg  "boom"  read  almost  like  fairytales.  It  is 
difficult  to  believe  that  sane  men  could  have  become  so 
rabidly  mad  in  so  short  a  period  of  time.  Not  only  did 
the  value  of  corner  lots  in  the  city  of  Winnipeg  soar  out 
of  sight,  but  far  out  upon  the  prairie,  in  anticipation  of 
projected  and  wholly  imaginary  railway  lines,  town  sites 
were  surveyed,  then  from  alluring  and  beautiful  pictures 
of  prosperous  towns  built  upon  these  sites,  with  post- 
office,  railway  station,  court-house,  beautifully  treed 

171 


172       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

avenues  depicted  in  harmonious  colours,  lots  were  sold 
at  fabulous  prices.  Not  only  in  Winnipeg  and  the  West, 
but  in  Eastern  Canada  and  the  United  States,  those 
building  sites  were  greedily  snapped  up.  The  spirit  of 
adventure  seizing  many  who  approached  this  land  of 
promise,  led  them  far  off  into  wilds  remote  from  civiliza- 
tion, from  market,  from  means  of  transportation,  from 
school  and  church  privileges.  The  cry  was  "Ho!  for 
the  far  West ! "  In  every  direction  nuclei  of  settlements 
were  set  down  upon  the  empty  prairie. 

All  this  made  enormous  demands  upon  the  Church. 
From  Port  Arthur  to  British  Columbia,  two  thousand 
miles  and  more,  stretched  this  vast  mission  field.  No 
wonder  that  the  Home  Mission  Committee  of  1880,  after 
passing  grants  to  the  amount  of  nearly  $11,000  to 
twenty-eight  groups  of  mission  fields  in  Manitoba  and 
the  Northwest  Territories,  and  with  a  debit  balance  of 
$14,500  should  sit  down  and,  without  argument,  pass  the 
following  resolution : 

"  The  Committee  having  regard  to  the  injunction  of  the 
General  Assembly  to  keep  the  expenditure  of  the  fund 
within  the  income,  agree,  as  a  measure  of  precaution,  to 
make  the  grants  to  mission  stations  and  supplemented 
congregations,  as  now  revised,  for  the  six  months  ending 
31st  March  next ;  these  grants  for  the  following  six 
months  being  subject  to  revision  at  the  next  general 
meeting  of  the  Committee." 

The  terror  of  the  West  was  upon  the  committee. 
They  knew  not  whereunto  this  thing  would  grow. 
Reaching  the  limit  of  their  own  resources,  they  appeal, 
and  not  without  result,  to  the  Churches  of  the  Homeland. 
But  still  they  find  themselves  with  means  inadequate  to 
the  demands  made  upon  them.  So  they  pass  resolutions 
urging  retrenchment.  But  however  the  Committee  may 
resolve,  the  West  cannot  and  will  not  halt.  It  was  the 


GETTING  INTO  THE  SADDLE  173 

next  year,  1881,  that  answering  the  far-off  cry  from 
Edmonton,  A.  B.  Baird,  newly  graduated  from  Knox 
College,  and  newly  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of  Strat- 
ford, hitched  up  his  buckboard  at  Winnipeg,  packed  in 
his  "  grub  "  and  outfit,  and  took  the  westward  trail  for 
his  outpost  nine  hundred  miles  away. 

With  this  vast  mission  field  reaching  from  the  Lakes 
to  Edmonton,  nearly  fifteen  hundred  miles  from  east  to 
west,  and  with  the  Home  Mission  Committee  in  such 
financial  straits,  it  was  that  the  Superintendent  entered 
upon  his  work. 

The  institution  or  revival  of  the  office  of  Superintend- 
ent was  for  all  concerned  a  somewhat  perilous  departure. 
"What  does  this  office  mean?"  many  were  asking. 
"What  are  its  rights  and  its  limitations?  What  of 
Presbytery  authority  and  the  authority  of  the  Assembly's 
Home  Mission  Committee,  and  of  the  Presbytery's  Home 
Mission  Committee  ?  What  of  the  sacred  doctrine  of  the 
parity  of  Presbyters?"  Surely  this  man  will  need  to 
give  heed  to  his  steps  that  he  slip  not.  To  aid  him  in 
this  the  Home  Mission  Committee  prepare  a  series  of 
regulations  for  the  guidance  of  the  Superintendent  for 
Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  Territories.  These  are 
afterwards  approved  by  the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba  and 
by  the  General  Assembly,  and  are  as  follows  : 

1.  His  duties  shall  include  the  oversight  and  visitation 
of  all  the  mission  stations  and  supplemented  congrega- 
tions within  the  aforesaid  territory  ;  the  organization  of 
new  stations  and  the  adjusting  of  the  amounts  to  be  paid 
by  the    different    stations    and    congregations    for    the 
support  of  ordinances,  and  the  amounts  to  be  asked  from 
the  Home  Mission  Committee,  and  in  general  the  super- 
vision and  furtherance  of  the  entire  mission  work  of  our 
Church  in  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest. 

2.  In  the  prosecution  of  his  work  he  shall  consult  and 


174       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

report  to  the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba  or  such  other  Pres- 
byteries as  may  be  hereinafter  erected.  He  shall  also 
submit  to  the  meetings  of  the  Home  Mission  Committee, 
in  March  and  October,  a  detailed  statement  of  the 
progress  of  the  work,  including  the  adaptability  of  the 
missionaries  to  the  fields  assigned  to  them,  and  the  fulfill- 
ment on  the  part  of  stations  and  supplemented  congrega- 
tions of  the  engagements  entered  into  for  the  support  of 
the  missionaries. 

3.  He  shall  transmit  to  the  Home  Mission  Committee 
an  annual  report  for  presentation  to  the  Assembly,  con- 
taining complete  statistics  of  the  membership,  families 
and  adherents  in  each  mission  station  and  supplemented 
congregation  ;  also  the  additions  made  during  the  year, 
the  amount  of  contributions  for  the  support  of  ordinances 
and  for  the  Home  Mission  fund  during  the  year,  and  the 
extent  of  new  territory  occupied  during  the  same  period, 
with  any  other  information  and  recommendations  that 
may  be  deemed  important  for  the  Committee  and   the 
General  Assembly  to  know. 

4.  All  Home  Mission  grants  shall  be  paid  by  the 
Superintendent  to  the  stations  and  supplemented  congre- 
gations, and  he  shall  be  empowered,  should  he  see  cause, 
to  withhold  payment  of  said  grants  in  cases  where  the 
stations  and  supplemented  congregations  have  not  ful- 
filled  their  monetary  engagements,   or  where  statistics 
have  not  been  regularly  furnished. 

5.  Payments  shall  be  made  to  the  stations  and  supple- 
mented congregations  quarterly. 

6.  No  draft  shall  in  any  case  be  drawn  by  the  Super- 
intendent of  Missions  until  he  has  sent  to  the  Convener  of 
the  Home  Mission  Committee  a  detailed  quarterly  state- 
ment of  the  amounts  due  to  each  station  and  congrega- 
tion, and  until  he  has  received  his  sanction  to  draw  for 
said  amounts  upon  the  treasurer  of  the  Church. 


GETTING  INTO  THE  SADDLE  175 

7.  In  the  meantime,  the  missionary  of  Prince  Albert 
shall  receive  his  payments  directly  through  the  Convener 
of  the  Home  Mission  Committee. 

8.  The  Superintendent  of  Missions  shall  spend  a  por- 
tion of  each  year  as  directed  by  the  Home  Mission  Com- 
mittee in  the  other  Provinces,  with  a  view  to  enlist  the 
sympathies  and  evoke  the  liberality  of  the  Church  in  the 
mission  work  of  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest. 

9.  The  Superintendent  shall  report  his  travelling  ex- 
penses every  six  months  to  the  Presbytery,  to  be  passed 
by  it  before  being  paid  by  the  Home  Mission  Committee. 

There  is  a  significant  hint  of  the  sense  of  peril  attach- 
ing to  this  departure  in  Church  government  in  the  objec- 
tion lodged  by  the  Eev.  Hugh  McKellar,  a  member  of 
the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba,  against  the  word  "  over- 
sight ' '  appearing  in  the  rules.  Mr.  McKellar  is  anxious 
lest  the  Superintendent  should  assume  anything  like 
episcopal  control.  But  before  the  rules  could  reach  him, 
the  Superintendent  was  at  his  work. 

There  is  no  railway  as  yet  leading  west  through  his 
field,  so  he  buys  a  horse  and  buggy  and  starts  out  early 
in  August,  taking  the  Portage  trail,  upon  his  first  mis- 
sionary tour,  as  Superintendent.  On  that  first  missionary 
tour  he  drove  two  thousand  miles,  at  first  through  heat 
and  dust  and  rain,  and  later  through  frosts  and  blizzards, 
for  it  was  after  the  middle  of  December  before  he  returned 
to  Winnipeg,  delivering  some  ninety-six  sermons  and 
forty  missionary  addresses. 

That  trail  and  others  he  will  press  for  twenty  years 
without  halt  or  break  or  reprieve,  till  he  lays  him  down 
to  his  long  rest.  That  trail,  pursued  by  buggy  and  buck- 
board.  by  cutter  and  "jumper,"  by  passenger  train  and 
freight  train,  would  girdle  the  earth  ten  times  and  more. 
Pressing  that  trail,  he  will  break  the  way  for  many  a 
pioneer  missionary,  who,  passing  beyond  the  sky-line  of 


176       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

the  prairie,  may  pass  out  of  sight,  and  often  out  of  mem- 
ory of  his  Church,  but  will  never  be  forgotten  by  him 
who  first  showed  him  this  pathway  to  service  and  to 
glory. 


XXII 

THE  CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND 

TO  the  General  Assembly  of  1881  were  sent  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba  two  overtures  big 
with  potentialities  for  the  cause  of  Presby- 
terianism  and  of  religion  in  Western  Canada.  One  of 
these  overtures  received  the  approval  of  the  Assembly 
and  resulted  in  the  appointment  of  the  Eev.  James  Eob- 
ertson,  Minister  of  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg,  as  Superin- 
tendent of  Missions  for  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  Ter- 
ritories. The  fate  of  the  other  overture  hung  in  the  bal- 
ance for  some  months.  It  was  an  overture  to  authorize 
the  creation  of  a  fund  to  aid  in  the  erection  of  churches 
and  manses  in  the  West. 

The  origin  of  this  overture  was  to  be  found  in  the  ex- 
perience of  the  minister  of  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg, 
while  acting  as  Convener  of  the  Presbytery's  Home  Mis- 
sion Committee.  During  his  various  missionary  tours  it 
was  pressed  upon  his  mind  with  painful  insistence  that 
the  missionaries  in  charge  of  the  outposts  of  our  Church 
were  called  upon  to  suffer  what  seemed  to  him  unneces- 
sary privation  from  the  lack  of  comfortable  homes,  and 
that  congregations  were  seriously  retarded  in  their  devel- 
opment from  the  lack  of  suitable  buildings  in  which  to 
worship. 

For  men  and  women  of  culture  and  of  fine  instincts  to 
be  forced  to  live  in  mud-roofed  shacks,  or  board  with 
families  in  houses  of  a  single  room,  where  all  the  domes- 
tic activities  were  carried  on,  could  not  fail  to  seriously 

177 


178       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

impair  the  efficiency  of  their  service.  Nor  was  there 
much  hope  of  a  permanent  settlement  being  effected  in  a 
congregation  till  a  home  could  be  found  for  the  minister 
and  his  family.  Further  than  this,  while  so  large  a  pro- 
portion of  the  settlers  were  young  men,  unmarried  and 
living  wretchedly  uncomfortable  lives,  it  was  not  difficult 
to  imagine  how  great  an  impetus  would  be  given  to  the 
work  of  the  Church  and  how  vastly  increased  would  be 
the  hold  of  the  minister  upon  his  flock,  had  he  a  com- 
fortable home  into  which  he  might  welcome  the  stranger 
and  the  homeless  of  his  congregation. 

Mr.  Robertson  had  often  experienced,  too,  the  depress- 
ing effect  of  uncongenial  surroundings  in  connection  with 
public  worship.  He  had  been  forced  to  preach  to  the 
people  in  curious  places,  in  shacks  through  whose  sod 
roofs  the  rain  trickled  in  muddy  streams  upon  the  head 
and  down  the  face  of  the  preacher.  He  tells  us  how, 
upon  entering  a  sod-roofed  shack  during  a  rain-storni  one 
day,  he  found  the  children  arranged  like  soldiers  on 
parade  along  the  centre  of  the  little  room.  Closer  obser- 
vation revealed  the  wisdom  of  this  arrangement,  for  the 
only  dry  place  in  the  little  shack  was  the  line  underneath 
a  wide  beam  that  formed  the  ridge  pole  of  the  roof. 

Another  time,  while  the  missionary  was  nearing  the 
climax  of  his  sermon,  from  under  the  bed  whereon  a  por- 
tion of  the  audience  had  found  sittings,  there  came  the 
premonitory  clucks  of  a  hen  indicative  of  a  virtuous 
sense  of  duty  fulfilled.  At  once  there  ensued  a  struggle 
for  the  attention  of  the  audience  between  the  zealous  mis- 
sionary and  the  industrious  fowl.  More  and  more  elo- 
quent waxed  the  missionary's  periods,  louder  and  louder 
the  duckings  of  the  hen,  till  finally  emerging  into  the 
open,  with  a  few  surprised  if  not  indignant  clucks  at  the 
unwonted  invasion  of  her  privacy,  and  then  with  a  wild 
volley  of  frantic  clucks  and  cluckoos,  she  flew  through 


CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    1T9 

the  open  door,  leaving  the  vanquished  missionary  to 
gather  up  the  scattered  members  of  his  body  of  divinity 
and  the  shattered  attention  of  his  audience. 

In  buildings  of  all  kinds  and  devoted  to  all  purposes 
religious  services  were  held,  in  schoolhouses,  where  there 
were  any,  in  unfinished  stores,  in  blacksmith  shops,  in 
granaries,  hay-lofts  and  stables,  often  redolent  of  other 
than  the  odour  of  sanctity.  Liberal  use,  too,  was  made  of 
the  offer  of  its  station-houses  on  the  part  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific  Eailway.  But  often  the  effect  of  the  sermon  and 
of  the  whole  service  was  marred  by  uncongenial  and  in- 
congruous surroundings.  This  was  notably  the  case  when 
the  only  available  spot  for  service  happened  to  be  the 
bar  of  a  hotel.  Once  Mr.  Robertson,  coming  to  a  settle- 
ment late  on  a  Saturday  evening,  where  the  largest  build- 
ing was  the  hotel  and  the  largest  room  the  bar,  inquired 
of  the  hotel  man  : 

"  Is  there  any  place  where  I  can  hold  a  service  to-mor- 
row?" 

"  Service?" 

"  Yes,  a  preaching  service.'' 

"Preaching!  Oh,  yes,  Pll  get  you  one,"  he  replied 
with  genial  heartiness. 

Next  day  Mr.  Robertson  came  into  the  bar  which  was 
crowded  with  men. 

"Well,  have  you  found  a  room  for  my  service?"  he 
inquired  of  his  genial  host. 

"Here  you  are,  boss,  right  here.  Get  in  behind  that 
bar  and  here's  your  crowd.  Give  it  to 'em.  God  knows 
they  need  it." 

Mr.  Robertson  caught  the  wink  intended  for  the 
"boys"  only.  Behind  the  bar  were  bottles  and  kegs 
and  other  implements  of  the  trade  ;  before  it  men  stand- 
ing up  for  their  drinks,  chaffing,  laughing,  swearing. 
The  atmosphere  could  hardly  be  called  congenial,  but  the 


180       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

missionary  was  "  onto  his  job,"  as  the  boys  afterwards 
admiringly  said.  He  gave  out  a  hymn.  Some  of  the 
men  took  off  their  hats  and  joined  in  the  singing,  one  or 
two  whistling  an  accompaniment.  As  he  was  getting 
into  his  sermon  one  of  the  men,  evidently  the  smart  one 
of  the  company,  broke  in. 

"Say,  boss,"  he  drawled,  "I  like  yer  nerve,  but  I 
don't  believe  yer  talk." 

11  All  right,"  replied  Mr.  Robertson,  "give  me  a 
chance.  When  I  get  through  you  can  ask  any  questions 
you  like.  If  I  can  I  will  answer  them,  if  I  can't,  I'll  do 
my  best." 

The  reply  appealed  to  the  sense  of  fair  play  in  the 
crowd.  They  speedily  shut  up  their  companion  and  told 
the  missionary  to  "  fire  ahead,"  which  he  did  and  to  such 
good  purpose  that  when  he  had  finished  there  was  no  one 
ready  to  gibe  or  question.  After  the  service  was  closed, 
however,  one  of  them  observed  earnestly  : 

"I  believe  every  word  you  said,  sir.  I  haven't  heard 
anything  like  that  since  I  was  a  kid,  from  my  Sunday- 
school  teacher.  I  guess  I  gave  her  a  pretty  hard  time. 
But,  look  here,  can't  you  send  us  a  missionary  for  our- 
selves? We'll  all  chip  in,  won't  we,  boys?  " 

A  missionary  was  sent  in  and  it  was  not  long  till  a 
strong  congregation  was  established  in  that  community. 
But  in  the  hands  of  a  weaker  man  such  a  result  was 
hardly  likely  to  follow  the  services  conducted  in  the  bar- 
room. 

In  pressing  the  overture  upon  the  attention  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Manitoba,  Mr.  Robertson  urged  the  neces- 
sity of  such  a  fund,  not  only  in  the  interests  of  a  more 
harmonious  and  effective  preaching  service  and  a  greater 
efficiency  in  Church  work  generally,  but  upon  a  ground 
which  he  crystallized  in  a  great  phrase  that  has  become 
historically  associated  with  the  memory  of  its  creator. 


CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    181 

He  urged  the  importance  of  a  church  building  as  giving 
"  visibility  and  permanence"  to  the  cause  of  religion. 
That  phrase,  "  visibility  and  permanence,"  became  a 
battle-cry  on  his  lips  during  his  campaign  for  this  fund, 
and  a  great  battle-cry  it  proved.  Those  who  have  lived 
their  lives  within  sight  of  a  church  and  within  sound  of 
a  church  bell,  will  find  it  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to 
estimate  at  full  value  the  ethical  effect  of  the  mere  build- 
ing upon  the  moral  life  of  the  community.  But  men  of 
the  frontier  have  learned  by  experience  how  great  this 
effect  is. 

A  missionary  writing  in  regard  to  the  change  wrought 
in  the  mind  of  the  community  by  the  building  of  a  church 
says  : 

"  Before  the  church  was  built  in  this  village  only  the 
decidedly  religious  people  could  be  got  to  attend  service. 
The  store  was  open,  the  bar  was  full,  the  ordinary  busi- 
ness of  the  week  went  on  as  usual.  But  the  very  day  the 
church  was  opened  all  this  was  changed.  The  store 
closed  up,  the  bar  was  empty  of  all  except  a  few  recog- 
nized and  well-seasoned  'toughs,'  the  ordinary  work  of 
the  week  stopped,  and  many  came  to  church  who  would 
not  think  of  coming  to  the  service  in  the  shack.  The 
silent  appeal  of  that  building  with  the  Gothic  windows 
was  a  more  powerful  sermon  than  any  I  had  ever 
preached." 

But  Mr.  Eobertson  was  not  at  the  Assembly  of  1881  to 
press  his  overture.  The  Assembly  was  doubtful.  A 
money  scheme  to  many  of  the  fathers  and  brethren  is 
ever  a  suspicious  innovation.  Opposition  developed. 
The  overture  was  in  the  hands  of  Professor  Bryce  and  the 
Western  representatives.  So  serious  did  the  opposition 
become  that  its  supporters  lost  heart  and  a  motion  was 
proposed  by  Mr.  W.  T.  Wilkins,  seconded  by  Professor 
Bryce,  asking  leave  to  withdraw  the  overture.  But  to 


182       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

the  rescue  came  the  venerable  Dr.  Reid,  seconded  by  that 
always  champion  of  Western  Canada,  Principal  Grant, 
with  an  amendment  to  remit  the  overture  to  the  Home 
Mission  Committee.  The  amendment  carried,  and  the 
Church  and  Manse  Building  scheme  was  saved  for  the 
time  being. 

In  the  Home  Mission  Committee,  however,  there  was 
opposition,  but  here  Mr.  Robertson,  now  become  Super- 
intendent, was  able  to  show  the  large  advantage  that 
would  accrue  to  Home  Mission  work  from  such  a  fund. 
He  was  further  able  to  report  that  already  a  considerable 
amount  had  been  promised  for  the  fund.  The  first  con- 
tribution, to  the  amount  of  one  thousand  dollars,  had  come 
from  a  friend  in  Newfoundland.  Presbyterians  in  the 
West  had  promised  support.  The  Home  Mission  Com- 
mittee, still  uncertain  as  to  the  ultimate  effect  of  a  can- 
vass for  a  new  fund  upon  their  Home  Mission  revenue, 
were  still  unwilling  to  bestow  their  benediction,  but 
allowed  the  Superintendent  to  go  on  with  the  canvass. 

With  all  the  concentrated  energy  of  his  being,  the  new 
Superintendent  "goes  on,"  putting  his  hand  to  a  work, 
the  magnitude  of  which  not  even  he  has  begun  to  esti- 
mate. With  shrewd  foresight  he  begins  in  the  West. 
His  old  congregation  in  Winnipeg  backs  him  up  with  a 
handsome  contribution  ;  other  congregations  subscribe  in 
proportion.  Leading  Presbyterians  of  the  West,  catching 
the  spirit  of  the  Superintendent,  give  largely.  Then  to 
the  East  he  proceeds,  sowing  broadcast  over  the  Church 
a  Catechism  on  the  Church  and  Manse  Building  Fund. 
It  was  not,  indeed,  the  Shorter  Catechism  of  high  and 
honourable  fame,  but  a  new  edition  of  the  Mother's 
Catechism,  as  one  said,  l l  for  it  was  in  the  interest  of  the 
boys."  Wherever  he  can  get  an  opening  he  pleads  his 
cause.  On  every  hand  he  meets  opposition,  from  le- 
thargic pastors,  from  penurious  congregations,  from  men 


CHUtiCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    183 

with  rival  schemes,  but  with  unfailing  good  humour  and 
with  indomitable  perseverance  he  keeps  pushing  the 
Church  and  Manse  Building  scheme. 

Writing  from  Cobourg,  under  date  March  7th,  1882,  to 
his  wife,  he,  as  always,  takes  her  fully  into  his  confi- 
dence : 

"  To-night  I  have  no  meeting.  I  tried  to  arrange  and 
the  telegraph  failed  me.  Came  here  last  night  and  had  a 
good  meeting,  collections  $34.46.  But  the  congregation 
is  without  a  pastor  and  in  a  bad  state.  Tried  to  do  some- 
thing for  our  Church  Building  Fund,  but  met  with  little 
success.  Got  only  about  $190,  but  have  promises  of 
more.  Hope  to  make  it  $500.  Peterboro  I  was  not  able 
to  canvass.  Several  things  promised  and  I  am  going 
back  there  some  time.  I  think  $1,500  or  $1,800  could  be 
got  there.  This  part  of  the  country  is  not  very  hopeful 
and  the  young  people  are  leaving.  To-morrow  I  go  to 
Madoc.  I  am  vexed  at  being  sent  to  a  place  so  little 
likely  to  do  anything  for  our  cause,  but  I  must  go."  He 
is  labouring  under  the  direction  of  his  Committee,  and 
apparently  not  altogether  unhampered. 

Again  from  Kingston  he  writes  : 

"  Got  here  Saturday  afternoon  and  am  with  Dr.  Smith. 
He  met  me  at  the  hotel.  Called  on  McCuaig  and  Eev. 
Andrew  Neilson  about  services.  Preached  for  McCuaig 
yesterday  morning.  Congregation  not  large,  but  I  under- 
stand that  his  is  the  most  wealthy  in  Kingston.  I  did 
not  get  him  to  give  a  collection  for  the  Home  Mission 
Committee.  Took  tea  there,  however.  He  is  soured  at 
something  about  the  Home  Mission  Committee.  Which 
indisposition,  however,  is  only  temporary,  his  good 
sense  coming  to  his  aid.  Preached  for  Neilson  in  the 
evening.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  interest  manifested, 
and  I  trust  good  will  be  done.  But  no  collection  was 
taken  up  for  our  fund.  Last  evening  Principal  Grant 


184       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

came  to  Dr.  Smith's  and  we  had  a  chat  on  matters.  He 
goes  to  Ottawa  to  attend  the  Legislature  anent  the 
Union  Act.  The  anti-Unionists  are  doing  all  they  can  to 
defeat  the  measure  and  Sir  Hugh  Allan,  Hickson  of  the 
Grand  Trunk,  etc.,  are  lobbying  with  the  Antis.  But 
the  bill  will  go  through,  I  think. 

' '  This  morning  I  was  trying  to  get  men  out  to  our 
meeting  to-night  so  as  to  get  them  interested  in  our 
Church  Building  scheme.  They  fight  shy  of  the  measure, 

but  several  promised  to  be  there.  Dr.  D went  with 

me.  We  are  going  out  this  afternoon  again.  Belle- 
ville gave  but  little  for  our  fund,  but  I  trust  to  go  back 
there  again  and  we  will  do  better.  I  address  the  students 
here  to-morrow.  We  want  as  many  as  possible  of  them 
out  there— of  the  right  kind.  The  desire  to  go  out  is 
general,  and  I  hope  we  may  get  the  right  men." 

"  Money  and  men  ! "  He  does  not  know  it,  but  he  has 
entered  upon  his  life-long  hunt.  Ever  as  he  tramps  the 
streets  of  these  Ontario  towns  and  drives  his  long  drives 
against  storm  and  sleet,  he  is  thinking  of  the  little  home- 
less congregations  on  the  prairie  and  of  the  homeless 
missionaries  and  missionaries'  wives  he  is  trying  to  settle 
in  those  homeless  congregations.  And,  therefore,  he 
cannot  yield  to  discouragement,  and  no  matter  who  or 
what  may  oppose,  he  presses  hard  upon  his  mission. 

From  Brockville  on  this  same  tour,  under  date  March 
22d,  1882,  he  writes  : 

"  I  have  just  got  down-stairs  to  write  you  a  note  before 
I  leave  for  Ottawa.  I  got  here  last  evening  and  held  a 
meeting.  The  day  was  very  stormy  and  my  attendance 
somewhat  slim.  The  collection  t  ditto.'  I  called  on  sev- 
eral before  the  meeting  and  they  all  appeared  to  be  inter- 
ested, but  the  night  was  such  as  would  deter  people  from 
going  out.  I  have  no  time  to  wait  this  morning  to  call  on 
any  for  the  Church  and  Manse  Building  Fund,  but  think 


CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    185 

that  I  will  call  here  again.  They  think  that  $1,000  can 
be  got,  at  any  rate.  I  saw  ex-Governor  Morris  at  Ottawa 
and  got  $1,000  from  him  !  I  never  expected  the  half  of 
it."  Though  it  is  safe  to  say  he  never  allowed  His 
Honour  to  suspect  any  such  modesty  in  his  canvasser. 
"But  I  had  a  regular  'set  to>  with  him  in  Toronto  and 
hence  he  came  down  handsomely.  Dr.  Schultz  promised 
me  land  to  between  $500  and  $1,000,  and  I  got  $300  from 
Senator  Sutherland.  I  am  going  to  see  some  of  the  other 
men  in  Ottawa  to-day  and  hope  to  do  something.  I  must 
go  to  Montreal  for  to-morrow  evening.  Our  meeting  in 
Ottawa  was  large  on  Monday  evening.  Principal  Grant, 
Macdonnell,  and  myself  spoke.  Grant  made  a  capital 
speech.  Macdonnell  and  myself  were  not  so  happy,  but 
I  got  a  good  chance  with  them  on  Sabbath.  I  will  go 
west  from  Montreal  to  Toronto,  likely  on  Monday  or 
Tuesday." 

Stormy  days  and  slim  attendances  do  their  worst,  but 
men  with  vision  of  the  coming  greatness  of  the  West  are 
beginning  to  take  an  interest  in  his  scheme,  and  so  with 
better  heart  he  goes  to  meet  his  still  doubtful  Committee. 

From  Toronto  he  writes  on  the  29th  of  March  : 

"I  got  here  yesterday  and  was  until  late  at  the  Home 
Mission  Committee  meeting.  Not  much  business  yet 
done.  I  do  not  know  when  we  shall  be  through,  but  will 
go  up  to  see  you  all  as  soon  as  I  can  get  away,  likely  to- 
morrow. 

"  My  Church  and  Manse  Building  scheme  has  not  yet 
the  approval  of  the  Committee.  They  want  the  General 
Assembly  to  be  seized  of  the  matter  and  they  recommend 
changes.  I  did  not  object  and  hence  all,  I  trust,  will  go 
well."  He  has  the  genius  that  can  wait  and  that  knows 
when  it  is  good  to  wait.  The  Committee,  too,  wise  heads 
that  they  are,  know  that  it  will  do  nothing  but  good  to  allow 
the  Assembly  to  view  this  work  from  many  sides.  He 


186       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

continues  :  "I  found  Montreal  hard  to  move,  but  after 
Sabbath's  services  things  went  better.  Several  told  me 
that  they  were  much  pleased  with  the  account  given  of 
the  country  and  would  help  in  this  scheme.  Some  even 
went  so  far  as  to  call  on  me  about  the  matter  next 
morning."  They  are  slow  to  move,  these  Montrealers, 
but  their  day  for  moving  will  come,  and  when  they  begin 
to  get  the  "  vision, "  they  will  be  found  in  the  line  of  ad- 
vance. One  of  them  has  his  eyes  wide  open  already,  for 
we  read  :  "  Dined  with  D.  A.  Smith  yesterday  evening, 
and  he  gave  me  $1,500.  This  is  the  only  subscription 
from  Montreal  yet."  Courage  !  A  goodly  number  will 
follow  Mr.  Smith's  excellent  lead. 

So  from  town  to  town  and  from  congregation  to  congre- 
gation he  pushes  his  relentless  canvass  with  the  help  of 
his  somewhat  cautious  Committee,  and  without  it,  till  he 
arrives  at  Toronto,  the  stronghold  of  Presbyterianism  in 
Canada.  He  is  expecting  much,  but  he  is  doomed  to 
grievous  disappointment. 

"  I  am  just  getting  ready  to  go  out  canvassing  to-day. 
Spent  a  part  of  two  days  and  got  $1,500  more.  Toronto 
is  hard  to  get  at.  Knox  College  has  a  scheme  of  endow- 
ment and  people  have  got  a  hint  to  reserve  their  strength 
for  that.  Toronto  was  always  selfish.  It  is  Toronto  first, 
last,  and  always.  They  will  support  what  will  build  up 
Toronto,  but  for  outside  objects  they  give  as  little  as  they 
decently  can." 

Which  all  goes  to  show  that  Toronto  is  like  other  cities 
and  like  mankind  generally,  endowed  with  a  very  con- 
siderable amount  of  human  nature.  But  Toronto,  like 
Montreal,  will  change  her  mind  about  this  man  and  about 
his  work.  The  day  will  come  when  she  will  respond  with 
loyal  and  eager  enthusiasm  when  he  leads.  So  off  he  goes 
to  Montreal,  where  he  remains  till  the  meeting  of  the 
General  Assembly  which  this  year  takes  place  in  St.  John. 


CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    1ST 

With  a  brave  heart  he  meets  this  august  and  venerable 
body  and,  indeed,  he  well  may.  It  is  his  first  appear- 
ance as  Superintendent  of  Missions.  To  most  of  the 
fathers  and  brethren  he  is  quite  unknown  by  face.  But 
already  there  is  rumour  attaching  to  him,  and  it  is  with 
keen  expectancy  that  they  wait  his  first  appearance.  He 
is  asked  to  address  the  house  in  regard  to  the  Church 
and  Manse  Building  Fund.  Tall  and  spare  of  form, 
rugged  of  face,  and  with  the  burr  of  the  land  of  his  birth 
still  ringing  in  his  voice,  he  rises  to  address  the  As- 
sembly. Modestly,  but  with  masterly  management  of  his 
facts  and  with  quiet  touches  of  pawky  humour  here  and 
there  lighting  up  his  narrative,  he  recounts  his  initial 
experience  as  a  canvasser  for  Church  funds. 

It  is  the  story  of  an  extraordinary  triumph.  He  has 
succeeded  in  enlisting  the  moral  and  financial  support  of 
leading  Presbyterians  of  both  East  and  West.  He  has 
secured  from  the  Canadian  Pacific  Eailway  Company  the 
promise  to  transport  all  building  material  at  two-thirds 
the  ordinary  rate.  Manitoba  has  already  pledged  $36, 000 
for  the  fund.  With  a  very  partial  canvass  he  has  sub- 
scriptions from  the  East  amounting  to  nearly  $28,000. 
His  total  subscriptions  to  date  amount  to  the  magnificent 
sum  of  $63, 726  and  this,  with  promises  more  or  less  defi- 
nitely given,  he  has  reason  to  believe  will  give  a  grand 
total  of  $66, 626! 

While  he  is  addressing  the  Assembly  he  holds  in  his 
hand  a  small  black  note-book.  Ah,  that  note-book ! 
What  dismay  it  has  struck  to  the  heart  of  many  an  un- 
wary critic  !  What  foreboding  it  has  brought  to  the 
mind  of  an  unhappy  and  unwilling  contributor !  But 
what  cheer  and  inspiration  to  many  a  doubtful  Church 
court  and  depressed  congregation !  The  Assembly  listen 
amazed.  That  by  a  single  man  during  the  few  months  at 
his  disposal,  with  the  hesitating  support  of  a  Committee 


188       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

not  yet  fully  committed  to  the  scheme,  this  large  sum — 
and  for  those  days  it  was,  indeed,  a  large  sum — should 
have  been  raised,  seemed  an  almost  impossible  achieve- 
ment. The  effect  upon  the  minds  of  the  fathers  and 
brethren  was  great  and  immediate.  There  and  then 
they,  and  especially  the  great  leaders  among  them,  took 
their  new  Superintendent  to  their  hearts  and  gave  him 
their  confidence.  He  will  have  many  a  battle  yet  to 
fight ;  opposition,  hostility,  criticism,  are  yet  in  store  for 
him,  but  from  this  moment  his  Church  will  not  waver  in 
following  his  lead.  The  future  of  the  Church  and  Manse 
Building  Fund,  by  the  statement  of  the  new  Superin- 
tendent, was  fully  assured. 

The  raising  and  organizing  of  the  Church  and  Manse 
Building  Fund  was,  indeed,  an  achievement  which  might 
entitle  any  man  to  a  high  place  in  the  esteem  and  the 
remembrance  of  his  Church.  The  history  of  the  growth 
and  the  operations  of  this  fund  only  add  to  the  lustre 
of  his  name  who  had  the  eye  to  see  its  necessity,  the 
courage  to  plan,  and  the  genius  to  carry  out  to  a  success- 
ful issue  a  scheme  so  fraught  with  blessing  to  the  whole 
of  Canada,  both  "West  and  East.  The  phenomenal  success 
of  the  first  canvass  made  the  further  prosecution  of  the 
work  an  easier  task.  The  Newfoundland  friend  who  had 
given  the  first  thousand  dollars,  hearing  of  the  work  be- 
ing accomplished  through  the  fund,  secured  from  sympa- 
thetic friends  a  second  thousand.  A  Toronto  contributor 
returning  from  a  tour  of  the  West  and  seeing  the  work 
done  through  the  country,  expressed  himself  as  highly 
pleased,  and  offered  to  increase  his  subscription. 
"When  a  leading  Episcopalian  was  speaking  to  me,"  he 
said  to  the  Superintendent,  "  about  the  energy  of  our 
Church  and  her  success,  I  felt  proud  of  being  a  Presby- 
terian." Another  contributor  of  Toronto,  similarly  im- 
pressed with  the  value  of  the  fund,  volunteered  to  be- 


CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    189 

come  a  life-subscriber.  Before  five  years  had  passed,  the 
subscription  list  had  grown  to  $114, 792,  though  it  is  fair 
to  say  that  owing  to  the  severity  of  the  financial  de- 
pression following  the  collapse  of  the  boom  in  the  West, 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  money  subscribed  could  not 
be  collected. 

In  his  campaigning  for  funds,  the  Superintendent 
literally  obeyed  the  Scriptural  injunction  to  be  instant 
in  season  and  out  of  season.  He  never  let  an  opportunity 
slip.  On  one  occasion  a  good  friend  of  his  living  in 
Ottawa,  a  university  classmate,  learning  that  the 
Superintendent  was  one  of  a  party  snow-bound  for  two 
or  three  days  on  the  line  between  Pembroke  and  Ottawa, 
met  him  at  the  train  on  its  arrival  and  with  warm  hospi- 
tality carried  him  off  to  his  home,  where  he  entertained 
him  for  some  days  right  royally.  As  a  farther  courtesy, 
the  Ottawa  gentleman  put  him  up  at  the  Eideau  Club. 
Eunning  his  eye  one  day  over  the  list  of  club  members, 
the  Superintendent  made  the  happy  discovery  of  some 
forty  or  fifty  names  of  good  Presbyterians.  It  looked 
like  good  hunting  to  him,  and,  like  a  hound  upon  the 
scent,  he  took  up  the  trail.  Not  a  man  of  them  escaped, 
and  it  was  many  months  before  his  Ottawa  friend  heard 
the  last  of  the  joke  he  had  unwittingly  played  upon  his 
unsuspecting  club  members. 

Eager  though  he  was  to  secure  contributions  for  his 
cause,  the  Superintendent  never  sacrificed  his  self- 
respect  and  never  allowed  any  man  either  to  bully 
or  to  patronize  him.  On  one  occasion  when  in  Ottawa 
he  met  a  Canadian  Pacific  Eailway  magnate  coming  out 
of  the  Parliament  Buildings. 

"Well,  Mr.  Eobertson,"  said  the  C.  P.  E.  magnate, 
"  I  suppose  you  are  on  one  of  your  begging  tours." 

"I  am  doing  your  work,  sir,"  replied  the  Superintend- 
ent with  dignity. 


190       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

" My  work?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  You  are  a  Presbyterian,  you  are  a  Canadian, 
and  you  are  interested  in  the  West."  And  he  proceeded 
to  indoctrinate  his  listener  in  regard  to  his  duty  and 
privilege  as  a  good  Presbyterian  and  loyal  Canadian 
towards  the  country  from  which  he  drew  no  inconsider- 
able portion  of  his  income. 

"Well,"  replied  the  great  man,  "Til  give  you  fifty 
dollars." 

"No,  sir.     I  can't  take  fifty  dollars  from  you." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  was  the  indignant  reply. 

"  I  am  going  this  afternoon  to  see  Mr.  X,  Mr.  Y, 
Mr.  Z,"  mentioning  the  names  of  prominent  wholesale 
men  in  Ottawa.  "  If  they  see  your  name  down  for  fifty 
dollars  they  will  at  once  put  down  their  names  for  ten." 

"  You  won't  take  fifty,  then?" 

"  No,  sir,  I  can't  afford  to." 

"Well,  good-morning,"  was  the  reply,  and  off  went 
the  C.  P.  R.  magnate  with  his  head  in  the  air. 

The    Superintendent   rolled  up  a  good  subscription 
list  in  Ottawa  and  Montreal,  and  the  year  following  met 
the  railway  gentleman  in  the  Parliament  Buildings  at. 
Ottawa. 

"Well,  Mr.  Robertson,"  was  his  greeting,  "you  are 
still  on  the  warpath." 

"Still  at  your  work,  sir,"  was  the  reply. 

"  What  will  you  take  this  year  ?  " 

"  What  will  you  give,  sir  ?  "  was  the  cautious  answer. 

"I'll  give  you  $250,  but  don't  come  back  again." 

"I'll  take  this,"  was  the  reply,  "  and  thank  you,  sir, 
but  I  make  no  promises  for  the  future.  Good-morning, 
sir."  And  with  that  swift  downward  grip  of  his  he  left 
the  railway  man  looking  after  him  with  covetous  eyes. 
It  was  a  pity  that  such  a  man  should  be  wasted  on  can- 
vassing for  Church  funds. 


CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    191 

Not  often  did  the  Superintendent  suffer  abuse,  and 
not  always  did  he  suffer  in  silence.  During  a  canvass 
in  the  city  of  Toronto  a  friend  who  had  subscribed  liber- 
ally to  his  fund  inquired,  l  i  Why  not  call  upon  my  friend 
Mr.  Blank?  He  is  a  Presbyterian  and  wealthy.  He 
ought  to  give  you  something. "  He  did  not  add  that  the 
friend  in  question  was  notoriously  and  constitutionally 
averse  to  subscription  books  of  all  kinds  soever.  In  due 
time  the  Superintendent  tapped  at  this  wealthy  Presby- 
terian's office  door. 

"  Come  in,"  called  a  gruff  voice. 

He  opened  the  door  and  stood  with  a  pleasant  smile, 
waiting  an  invitation  to  enter. 

"Oh,  I  know  you.  You're  after  money  for  that  God- 
forsaken country  of  yours,"  was  the  almost  fierce  greeting 
hurled  at  him  over  the  desk.  "  Well,  I  tell  you,  you 
needn't  come  in  here."  And  without  pause,  the  loyal 
Presbyterian  poured  forth  his  indignation  and  contempt 
upon  the  surprised  canvasser  and  his  cause.  But  he  had 
chosen  the  wrong  man  upon  whom  to  vent  his  fury. 
With  growing  wrath  the  Superintendent  listened  till  the 
man  had  quite  exhausted  his  breath  and  his  vocabulary, 
then  took  a  turn  himself. 

"Mr.  Blank,  I  came  to  your  office,  sir,  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  a  friend  of  yours,"  he  said  in  that  vibrant 
voice  of  his.  ' 1 1  thought  I  was  coming  to  see  a  gentleman. 
I  was  mistaken.  You  didn't  even  offer  me  a  seat.  You 
gave  me  no  opportunity  to  tell  my  business,  you  have 
heaped  abuse  upon  me,  but  more  than  that,  sir,  you  have 
vilified  the  cause  which  is  the  cause  of  the  Church  of 
which  you  profess  to  be  a  member,  sir."  And  with 
cold  and  merciless  deliberation  he  proceeded  to  remove 
the  successive  layers  of  pachydermatous  tissue  till  he 
had  the  man  on  the  raw.  Then  he  poured  forth  an  array 
of  facts  in  regard  to  the  country  and  the  work  he  had  in 


192       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

hand,  driving  them  home  with  that  long,  bony  index 
finger  till  the  man  was  glad  to  get  him  out  of  his  office 
with  a  proper  apology  and  a  check  for  one  hundred 
dollars.  Neither  of  them,  however,  saw  the  humour  of 
the  situation  till  the  following  year  when  the  Superintend- 
ent was  calling  for  his  next  annual  installment. 

When  once  a  man  whose  conscience  was  normally  active 
allowed  the  Superintendent  to  get  him  at  short  range,  the 
result  was  almost  always  a  subscription.  On  one  of  his 
hasty  tours  through  British  Columbia  he  took  the  oppor- 
tunity of  calling  upon  a  Provincial  Cabinet  Minister,  a 
gentleman  of  considerable  wealth  and  devoted  to  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  The  Superintendent  laid  the 
necessities  of  his  cause  before  his  sympathetic  hearer 
and  was  gratified  to  receive  a  prompt  response.  The  Cab- 
inet Minister  drew  forth  his  check -book  and  writing  out 
his  check,  handed  it  to  his  visitor.  The  Superintendent 
glanced  at  the  check  without  reply.  It  was  drawn  for 
one  hundred  dollars. 

"  Well,"  said  the  subscriber  with  considerable  surprise, 
"  is  not  that  satisfactory  ?  " 

"  Hardly,  from  you,  sir." 

"Why,  how  much  do  you  want ?  " 

"Just  another  nothing,  sir,"  pointing  to  the  last  figure 
on  the  check. 

1  <  What !    A  thousand  dollars  f '  > 

"  A  thousand  dollars,  sir,"  replied  the  Superintendent, 
and  sitting  down,  he  drew  his  chair  close  to  that  of  the 
Cabinet  Minister,  leaned  towards  him  and  with  his  hand 
upon  his  knee,  went  seriously  at  the  business  of  revealing 
to  him  his  privilege  in  the  matter.  It  took  one  hour's 
talk,  but  as  the  Superintendent  naively  remarked,  "It 
was  worth  it.  I  got  my  thousand  dollars  !  " 

The  summary  of  what  the  fund  had  accomplished  dur- 
ing the  first  five  years  of  its  history  is  the  most  complete 


CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    193 

justification  of  its  existence.  This  summary  is  found 
in  a  statement  by  the  Superintendent  accompanying  the 
Annual  Eeport  of  the  Board  for  the  year  1887,  and  forms  so 
remarkable  a  paper  that  it  should  have  a  place  in  the 
memory  of  all  Presbyterians  who  love  their  Church  and 
of  all  Canadians  who  love  their  country.  It  is  as 
follows : 

"The  Church  and  Manse  Building  Fund  was  born  of 
necessity.  For  several  years  before  the  Northwest  was 
connected  with  the  outside  world  by  rail,  settlers  in  con- 
siderable numbers  were  coming  in.  Their  numbers  in- 
creased as  the  prospects  of  a  railway  brightened.  A 
large  proportion  of  the  newcomers  were  Presbyterians. 
Many  of  them  were  young,  with  characters  unformed  and 
with  religious  convictions  unsettled.  Some  were  in  quest 
of  homes,  others  of  wealth.  The  wholesome  restraints  of 
settled  society  were  wanting.  With  the  break-up  of  home 
associations  and  the  absence  of  restraint  there  lay  the 
danger  of  the  religious  instincts  becoming  enfeebled  and 
the  sense  of  moral  obligation  blunted.  If  religious  insti- 
tutions were  not  planted  among  them  and  the  teachings  of 
early  life  followed  up,  indifference,  irreligion,  and  vice 
were  certain  to  become  prevalent.  The  facts  were  laid 
before  the  Church,  and  prompt  and  energetic  action  was 
taken.  Missionaries  were  appointed,  and  money  voted 
to  support  them. 

"  But  no  sooner  did  missionaries  appear  on  the  ground 
than  other  difficulties  presented  themselves.  There  were 
neither  churches  in  which  to  hold  services,  nor  houses  to 
shelter  missionaries  and  their  families.  The  Foreign 
Mission  Committee  appropriates  its  money  to  erect 
chapels,  purchase  bungalows,  or  procure  health  retreats. 
The  moneys  of  the  Home  Mission  Committee  can  only  be 
voted  to  help  to  pay  the  salaries  of  missionaries. 

"My  first  tour  through  our  mission  fields  opened  my 


194:       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

eyes.  Settlement  was  being  rapidly  effected,  but  for  the 
eight  years  between  1874  and  1882  only  fifteen  churches 
had  been  erected.  Schoolhouses  were  very  few  in 
number,  and  when  available  the  low  seats  and  narrow 
spacing  proved  rather  trying  to  the  long  leg  and  longer 
thigh  of  the  athletic  Manitobans.  I  shall  say  nothing  of 
the  trials  of  female  dress,  with  its  projections  and  disten- 
tions.  Services  were,  consequently,  held  for  the  most 
part  in  private  houses,  and  as  the  ceiling  was  sometimes 
low  and  formed  of  hay  or  sod,  it  seemed  a  blessing  to  be 
short  of  stature.  In  summer,  stables  and  stable  lofts, 
byres  and  granaries,  were  fitted  up  ;  but  the  crowing, 
clucking  and  cackling  of  irreverent  poultry,  the  barking 
of  dogs,  or  the  gambols  of  cattle,  were  too  trying  to  the 
risibilities  of  the  young  ;  and  odours  more  pungent  than 
pleasant  gave  the  sensitive  nostril  or  the  refractory 
stomach  an  excuse  to  rebel. 

"  Railway  stations  and  section  houses,  unfinished  stores 
and  dwelling-houses,  private  and  public  halls  were  ex- 
temporized into  churches  wherever  available  ;  but  the  rent 
of  halls  frequently  left  little  of  the  revenue  to  be  applied 
on  salary,  as  such  halls  were  built  'on  spec,7  and  sup- 
posed to  pay  themselves  in  three  years.  Hotel  parlours 
and  dining-rooms,  billiard  and  bar-rooms  were  secured, 
but  only  occasionally.  It  was  feared  by  the  owner  that 
the  service  might  interfere  with  the  legitimate  trade  of  the 
place.  I  have  preached  in  the  front  of  a  house  when 
the  proprietor  was  selling  whiskey  in  the  rear,  but  I  had 
the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he  was  fined  $200  and 
sent  six  months  to  jail.  Ludicrous  incidents  could  be 
given  and  laughable  stories  told.  But  missionaries  com- 
pelled to  labour  in  this  way  felt  as  if  they  laboured  in 
vain  and  spent  their  strength  for  naught. 

"  The  need  of  manses  was  greater  still.  Missionaries 
could  get  houses  to  rent  at  only  a  few  points,  and  twenty 


CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    195 

dollars  per  month  was  asked  for  very  inferior  accommoda- 
tion. When  it  is  borne  in  mind  that  the  salary  was  only 
eight  hundred  dollars,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  was  impossible 
for  a  minister  to  engage  a  house  at  such  a  figure.  I  have 
visited  delicate,  refined  women  and  cultured  ministers  in 
houses  scarcely  fit  to  shelter  cattle.  Dr.  Guthrie,  in  ap- 
pealing to  Scottish  audiences  for  money  with  which  to 
build  manses  for  Free  Church  ministers,  pointed  his  ap- 
peals with  instances  of  heroic  suffering.  Cases  of  greater 
hardships  could  be  cited  in  the  history  of  missions  in 
Manitoba.  Disappointment,  sickness,  and  diminished 
power  for  work  followed.  Men  lost  their  '  spring ' — 
their  energy, — and  the  work  languished.  An  effort  was 
made  to  reach  the  ear  of  the  East,  but  a  wilderness  lay  be- 
tween, and  Eastern  pastors  were  busy  with  their  own  work. 

"  But  why  did  not  the  people  build  t  They  could  not. 
Many  of  them  were  poor — financial  depression  drove 
them  from  the  homes  of  their  youth.  For  the  first  few 
years  it  was  all  outgo  and  no  income  with  them.  Build- 
ing timber  could  not  be  had  but  at  a  few  points  ;  lumber 
and  hardware  were  dear.  Something  had  to  be  done  to 
encourage,  to  stimulate,  else  the  work  would  fail.  Such 
were  the  circumstances  that  called  the  fund  into  exist- 
ence, and  similar  circumstances  created  funds  in  the 
American  churches. 

"  The  effect  of  the  fund  on  the  work  of  the  Church  has 
been  unmistakable.  It  has  given  visibility  to  Presby- 
terianism.  There  is  not  a  village  or  town  of  any  impor- 
tance between  Lake  Superior  and  the  Eocky  Mountains 
that  is  not  provided  with  a  church,  and  many  of  the 
buildings  are  creditable  structures.  Eat  Portage,  Car- 
berry,  Brandon,  Oak  Lake,  Yirden,  Whitewood,  Mooso- 
min,  Wolseley,  Grenfell,  Indian  Head,  Qu'Appelle,  Ee- 
gina,  Moosejaw,  Medicine  Hat,  and  Calgary,  on  the  main 
line  of  the  C.  P.  E. ;  Gladstone,  Neepawa,  Minnedosa,  Eapid 


196       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

City,  Strathclair,  Shoal  Lake,  and  Birtle,  on  the  Manitoba 
and  North- Western  Railway;  Morden,  Manitou,  Pilot 
Mound  and  Boissevain,  on  the  Pembina  Mountain  Rail- 
way, not  to  speak  of  Lethbridge  and  McLeod,  Edmonton, 
Battleford,  Fort  Saskatchewan,  Carman,  Fort  Qu'Appelle 
and  the  rest,  all  owe  their  churches  to  this  fund.  Dur- 
ing the  last  five  years  eighty-two  churches,  four  church 
manses  and  seventeen  manses  have  been  built,  or  one 
hundred  and  three  structures  in  all,  and  of  these  ninety  - 
four  were  assisted  from  the  Church  and  Manse  Fund. 
For  the  eight  years  prior  to  the  existence  of  the  fund 
only  fifteen  churches  and  manses  were  built,  or  not  quite 
an  average  of  two,  while  since  the  existence  of  the  fund 
the  average  has  been  nearly  twenty-one  a  year. 

"  The  possession  of  a  church  has  increased  the  audience, 
and  widened  the  sphere  for  the  ministers'  usefulness. 
Jones  would  not  attend  services  held  in  Brown's  house, 
and  Brown  honestly  paid  Jones  back  ;  both  attend  serv- 
ices in  the  church. 

"  A  church  affords  facilities  for  the  prosecution  of  Sab- 
bath-school work.  In  a  country  where  religious  training 
is  too  often  neglected  at  home,  the  Sabbath-school  is 
scarcely  less  important  than  the  public  service.  The  at- 
tendance at  the  Sabbath-schools  has  increased  nearly  ten- 
fold since  the  fund  was  organized. 

"  Churches  have  increased  attendance  on  public  service 
and  swelled  the  revenues  of  congregations.  Until  Port 
Arthur  had  a  church  it  received  $300  from  the  Home 
Mission  Fund  ;  with  the  dedication  of  its  church  the  con- 
gregation became  self-sustaining.  The  contributions  of 
Edmonton  went  up  from  $300  to  $700,  and  those  of  Rat 
Portage  from  $550  to  $1,000.  Calgary  became  self-sus- 
taining in  three  years,  and  now  gives  its  pastor  $1,200 
per  annum.  Regina,  Boissevain,  Virden,  Qu'Appelle, 
Oak  Lake,  and  other  centres  experienced  similar  benefits. 


CHURCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    197 

1 1  The  increase  in  congregational  contributions  has  en- 
abled the  Church  to  extend  her  operations.  The  money 
saved  in  older  districts  has  been  available  for  work  in 
new  fields.  If  to-day  there  is  no  settlement  of  any  size 
or  a  centre  of  any  promise  where  a  missionary  of  the 
Church  is  not  ministering  to  the  religious  wants  of  the 
people,  it  is  to  a  considerable  extent  due  to  the  operations 
of  the  Church  and  Manse  Board.  The  fund  has  been  a 
valuable  aid  in  church  extension. 

"It  has  saved  money  directly  to  missionaries  and  the 
funds  of  the  Church.  Seventeen  manses  have  been  al- 
ready erected.  At  an  average  rental  of  $15  per  month, 
an  annual  saving  of  $3,060  is  effected.  This  sum  capital- 
ized at  eight  per  cent.,  the  ruling  rate  of  bank  interest, 
would  amount  to  $38,250,  or  four-fifths  of  the  total 
amount  expended  by  the  Board.  Wherever  the  minister 
of  an  augmented  congregation  is  provided  with  a  manse, 
he  receives  $50  less  from  the  Augmentation  Fund. 
These  manses  have  contributed  to  the  comfort  of  our 
missionaries,  and  so  removed  the  reproach  of  neglect  on 
the  part  of  the  Church.  It  has  increased  their  power  to 
help  young  people,  and  so  to  weld  the  congregation  into 
a  compact  whole. 

"The  timely  aid  extended  has  cheered  the  hearts  of 
missionaries  and  people ;  it  has  helped  to  make  the  Church 
one  and  keep  the  West  closely  attached  to  the  East.  In 
their  times  of  political  disintegration  this  is  a  national 
blessing. 

"  With  all  that  has  been  done,  the  work  of  the  Board 
is  only  beginning.  New  fields  in  considerable  numbers 
are  being  occupied  every  year.  Four-fifths  of  the  minis- 
ters are  without  manses,  and  three-fourths  of  the  points 
occupied  are  without  churches. 

* l  During  last  summer  several  contributors  to  the  fund, 
from  Toronto,  Montreal,  and  other  centres,  visited  the 


198       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

country.  They  expressed  themselves  much  pleased  with 
the  work  of  the  Board,  and  they  have  increased  their 
former  contributions.  Their  cordial  approval  influenced 
their  acquaintances  to  help  the  work." 

And  so  from  year  to  year  this  fund  will  continue  to 
be  a  source  of  blessing  to  both  congregations  and  mission- 
aries and  a  mighty  influence  in  the  establishing  of  true 
religion  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  the  people  of  Western 
Canada.  Long  years  afterwards,  in  the  last  report  which 
he  will  submit  to  his  Church,  this  significant  record  of 
nineteen  years'  work  will  find  a  place  : 

"It  is  nearly  nineteen  .years  since  the  Board  was  or- 
ganized ;  at  that  time  the  Presbyterian  Church  owned 
only  eighteen  churches  and  three  manses  between  Lake 
Superior  and  the  Pacific  Coast.  During  these  nineteen 
years,  the  Board  has  aided  in  erecting  393  churches, 
eighty -two  manses,  and  three  schoolhouses  to  be  used  as 
churches,  or  478  buildings  in  all,  worth  about  $574,000." 

A  year  later,  the  report  will  open  with  this  pathetic 
word  : 

"The  report  this  year  is  drawn  by  a  new  hand.  The 
hand  that  for  the  last  twenty  years  prepared  the  annual 
statement  of  the  work  done  by  the  Church  and  Manse 
Board  is  still,  alas,  forever."  And  then  the  report  will 
proceed  to  give  this  magnificent  summary  of  twenty 
years'  work  :  "It  would  be  impossible  to  estimate  the 
value  of  the  aid  given  by  the  fund  to  our  whole  work 
by  the  erection  of  church  buildings  during  the  last  twenty 
years.  This  fund  has  assisted  in  the  erection  of  419 
churches,  ninety  manses,  and  four  schoolhouses,  and  has 
put  the  Church  in  possession  of  property  worth  $603,835  ; 
but  the  value  to  the  Church  in  Western  Canada  cannot 
be  estimated  in  dollars  and  cents.  The  equipment  in 
churches  and  manses  is  the  least  of  the  advantages  that 
have  come  to  the  Church  by  means  of  this  fund." 


CHUKCH  AND  MANSE  BUILDING  FUND    199 

It  is  largely  due  to  the  influence  of  the  Christian 
Church  that  in  no  part  of  Western  Canada  has  there  ever 
been  a  "wild  West"  in  the  American  sense  of  that 
word,  and  of  that  part  of  the  credit  due  to  the  Presby- 
terian Church  for  this,  a  large  share  must  be  ascribed  to 
the  operation  of  this  Church  and  Manse  Building  Fund, 
which  has  helped  to  give  "  visibility  and  permanence " 
to  religion  in  nearly  500  settlements  widely  scattered 
throughout  Western  Canada.  In  this  connection,  a  para- 
graph in  the  London  Times  of  August  18th,  1904,  refer- 
ring to  the  proposed  visit  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury to  Canada,  makes  good  reading  : 

"Informal  consultations  with  such  Canadian  bishops 
as  the  Archbishop  can  find  an  opportunity  to  meet  on 
their  own  ground  cannot  but  be  an  advantage  for  the 
future  development  of  their  work.  He  will  get  far  enough 
West  to  realize  that  prompt  pioneer  work  in  the  interests 
of  the  Anglican  Church  is  essential,  but  he  will  under- 
stand the  urgency  of  such  work  and  will  admire  the  en- 
terprise of  his  fellow  Scots,  who  are  planting  the  Presby- 
terian ministry  all  over  the  remote  West." 

And  in  that  planting  the  master  hand  was  his  to  whose 
seeing  eye  the  possibilities  of  harvest  were  so  vividly 
evident,  and  to  whose  genius  was  due  that  splendid  in- 
strument of  spiritual  garnering,  the  Church  and  Manse 
Building  Fund. 


XXIII 

FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I 

THE  year  1881  will  be  remembered  by  Western 
Canadians  as  long  as  an  old  timer  survives  to 
recount  the  wild  tales  of  those  wild  days.  The 
country  was  possessed  of  a  spirit  of  adventure.  Land 
fever,  the  germs  of  which  lie  in  every  human  heart,  had 
smitten  the  peoples  into  whose  ears  had  come  the  rumour 
of  the  wheat  lands  of  Western  Canada.  For  three  years, 
ever  since  the  railway  had  made  the  West  easily  accessi- 
ble, this  rumour  had  spread  till  in  the  townships  of 
Eastern  Canada  the  sturdy  farmer  and  his  sons  had 
caught  a  vision  of  wide  stretches  of  waving  wheat  reach- 
ing to  the  horizon,  and,  selling  their  narrow  fields,  they 
had  "struck"  the  Western  trail.  Into  the  remote  and 
secluded  hamlets  of  the  home  countries,  too,  across  the 
sea,  this  rumour  of  land  had  made  its  way,  and  falling 
upon  the  ears  of  the  land-hungry  among  these  sorely  be- 
taxed  and  be-feud  folk,  had  set  a  fever  burning  in  their 
bones  till  they  sold  all  and  sailed  for  the  far  away  West. 
And,  small  wonder,  for  here  was  land,  rich  and  deep  and 
free  to  all  who  cared  to  "take  it  up,77  land  without  feu  or 
rental,  with  no  shadow  of  overlord  or  factor  or  rent- 
racker  to  fall  across  it,  land  free  as  God's  free  air.  No 
wonder  the  peoples  went  mad.  But,  alas !  out  of  this 
fever  greed  would  make  gain,  for  however  land  may  be 
free  from  the  hand  of  God,  by  man's  hand  are  burdens 
soon  laid  upon  it.  Hence,  men  began  traffic  in  land, 
till  for  the  poor  man  none  was  available  but  such  as  lay 
far  from  civilization. 

200 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  201 

And  so  west  and  south  and  north  the  land-seekers 
thronged  the  back  trails,  disappearing  over  the  riin  of 
the  prairie  and  forgotten — but  not  by  all.  Fathers  and 
mothers  could  not  forget  their  sons,  and  the  great  mother 
Church,  too,  remembered  her  children  with  longing,  and 
with  a  sense  of  responsibility  more  or  less  deep.  Hence, 
the  Superintendent  of  Western  Missions. 

His  was  even  then  a  field  of  ''magnificent  distances. " 
For  though  the  settlements  lay  for  the  most  part  within 
a  radius  of  two  hundred  miles  from  Winnipeg,  from  the 
far  hinterland  there  came  tales  of  little  settlements  and 
lonely  homesteaders  beyond  touch  of  their  Church,  and 
now  and  then  a  cry  from  some  distant  outpost  for  help,  as 
from  far-off  Edmonton,  nine  hundred  miles  away.  None 
too  soon  had  the  Manitoba  Presbytery  overtured  the 
Venerable  the  General  Assembly  for  a  man  to  be  given 
the  task  of  finding  out  and  of  caring  for  these  lonely  set- 
tlers, and  none  too  soon  that  august  body,  charged  with 
the  spiritual  shepherding  of  nearly  a  thousand  families 
that  were  known  to  be  strewn  far  and  wide  over  a  thou- 
sand miles  of  prairie,  had,  set  apart  a  man  to  be  eyes  and 
ears  and  hands  to  the  Church  on  behalf  of  these  her  far- 
strewn  children,  who,  in  their  hunger  for  land  and  treas- 
ure, were  sorely  tempted  to  forget  that  better  country  and 
the  treasure  that  will  not  pass  away.  But  to  find  them 
out  and  to  bring  them  under  the  Church's  care  was  a  task 
which  seemed  to  the  Committee  in  Toronto  almost  beyond 
their  resources  to  accomplish.  The  treasury  was  empty, 
labourers  could  not  be  had,  and  the  Church  as  a  whole  was 
all  but  indifferent,  because  only  vaguely  aware  of  the  facts. 

To  this  as  a  first  duty,  therefore,  the  new  Superintend- 
ent set  himself,  to  get  to  know  the  facts  himself,  and  then 
to  get  his  Church  to  know  them.  For  he  had  this  faith, 
that  having  clear  knowledge  of  these  facts,  at  once  terri- 
ble and  inspiring,  the  Church  could  not  rest  indifferent 


202       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

to  them.  And  throughout  the  whole  course  of  his  super- 
intendency  this  twofold  duty  he  kept  steadily  in  mind  and 
ever  strove  to  fulfill,  to  know  the  facts  and  to  make  his 
Church  know  them. 

Given  a  work  to  do,  the  Superintendent  was  not  the 
man  to  delay  its  doing.  And  so,  in  less  than  a  week 
after  he  has  entered  upon  his  office,  we  find  him  on  the 
trail.  On  the  24th  of  July  of  this  year,  1881,  the  Presby- 
tery dissolved  the  tie  that  bound  him  to  Knox  Church, 
and  on  July  29th  we  have  him  writing  to  his  wife  from 
Dominion  City  :  "I  am  making  my  first  official  visit  as 
Superintendent  of  Missions  to  this  place  to-day."  Do- 
minion City  is  in  a  tangle  and  is  discouraged,  and  it  is 
significant  of  all  his  future  service  that  his  first  bit  of 
work  is  to  compose  difficulties  and  to  cheer  on  the  dis- 
couraged. From  Dominion  City  he  proceeds  to  Morris, 
where  he  conducts  service  on  the  Sabbath  day,  returning 
to  Winnipeg  the  day  after.  "  I  do  not  know  what  course 
I  shall  take  after  that,"  he  writes.  a  I  am  now  inclined 
to  visit  the  Little  Saskatchewan  country  first.  Things 
are  in  a  bad  state  there,  I  fear.7'  It  will  always  be  so. 
Where  things  are  in  a  bad  state,  there  will  this  Superin- 
tendent be  found. 

He  decides  that  his  first  missionary  tour  shall  be  in  the 
Little  Saskatchewan  country,  but  before  he  leaves  the 
city  there  is  a  difficulty  to  be  met  which  concerns  his  fel- 
low-workers in^the  West.  Their  fields  have  fallen  into 
arrears  of  salary  till  there  is  due  the  somewhat  serious 
amount  of  $1,789.67.  With  the  Convener  of  the  Assem- 
bly's Home  Mission  Committee  upon  the  spot,  the  moment 
is  favourable  for  settlement,  and  so  a  conference  is  held, 
and  it  is  agreed  that  the  missionaries  shall  lose  $568.00, 
the  Manitoba  Presbytery  shall  raise  $761.67,  and  the  re- 
maining $500  the  Convener  undertakes  on  behalf  of  the 
Eastern  Committee.  So,  in  the  month  of  August,  with 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  203 

the  slate  clean,  the  Superintendent  with  his  new  horse 
and  backboard,  into  which  he  packs  his  new  tent  and 
cainp  outfit,  sets  off  for  the  Little  Saskatchewan  country. 
The  20th  of  August  finds  him  in  Brandon,  from  which 
he  writes  to  his  wife  : 

"  MY  DEAR  WIFE  : — 

"  By  the  heading  of  this  you  will  see  that  I  have 
reached  the  city  of  Brandon  at  last.  My  last  to  you  was, 
I  think  (I  am  passing  so  quickly,  though,  I  almost  for- 
get), from  Milford.  I  went  up  to  Lang's  Valley  and  ar- 
ranged for  service  there,  and  finding  I  could  not  cross 
the  Souris  without  some  risk,  I  concluded  to  return  to 
Milford  and  cross  by  the  ferry.  I  then  came  to  Mair's 
Landing  and  stayed  there  all  night.  Yesterday  morn- 
ing I  struck  out  for  the  Brandon  Hills,  about  eleven  miles 
out,  and  called  at  Killam's.  After  finding  out  all  the 
Presbyterians  in  that  neighbourhood,  I  came  over  to 
Bertram's,  about  two  miles,  and  had  the  horse  fed  and 
got  dinner  for  myself.  It  was  raining  some,  but  not 
much.  I  started  away  and  called  at  Mr.  Chapman's. 
They  were  busy  shocking  up  some  wheat.  Moving  on,  I 
called  at  one  house  and  found  three  women  ;  explained  to 
them  the  object  of  my  visit  and  inquired  as  to  the  pos- 
sible injury  R might  do  us  in  the  course  he  has 

chosen  to  adopt."     R is  a  disgruntled  missionary 

who,  being  unequal  to  the  task  of  shepherding  the  flock, 
determines  to  have  his  rightful  share  of  the  fleece  as  com- 
pensation ;  a  natural  enough  desire,  but  one  wholly  re- 
pellent to  the  soul  of  the  Superintendent  and  disastrous 
to  the  work  he  has  in  hand.  "I  found  his  influence  is 
little.  He  has  disgusted  many  by  his  selfish  and  secular 
course.  I  found,  moreover,  that  the  Nova  Scotians  who 
came  over  with  him  to  the  south  side  of  the  Assiniboine 
are  few  in  number.  Proceeding  on  my  way,  I  came  to 


204       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

his  house,  and  they  asked  me  to  stay  to  tea.  I  accepted 
the  offer  and  left  soon  after.  I  ascertained  from  him  that 
there  were  several  Presbyterians  to  the  west  and  north  of 
the  Brandon  Hills.  Got  the  names  of  all  he  knew.  Got 
him  to  give  me  a  statement  of  his  claim  for  expenses.  It 
is  rather  flimsy,  but  it  is  better  paid.  He  got  $150  from 
the  people,  and  claims  $300  more  for  expenses. 

* '  After  leaving  his  house,  went  on  my  way  to  Brandon 
after  dark,  and  a  dark,  murky,  rainy  night  it  was.  Had 
to  cross  about  four  hundred  acres  of  breaking.  When  I 
got  there,  went  with  my  horse  to  a  stable  and  had  him 
looked  after.  Went  up  to  Mrs.  Douglas'  house  and  found 
that  she  could  not  accommodate  me.  Concluded  to  tent. 
Her  young  fellows  offered  to  help  me  to  pitch  tent  and 
get  hay.  Got  to  work  and  soon  had  things  snug  and 
comfortable,  and  was  soon  asleep.  This  morning  I  got  up 
betimes  and  looked  out — foggy  it  all  looked  and  a  heavy 
odour  of  skunk  was  in  the  air.  Got  breakfast  and  found 
horse  all  right.  Stay  here  to-morrow  and  go  to  Grand 
Valley  and  Boggy  Creek.  Am  in  excellent  health  and 
enjoy  trip  very  much." 

Thus  filling  his  note-book  with  statistics  of  all  kinds, 
he  pursues  his  way,  going  still  north  and  west,  every- 
where discovering  lost  and  strayed  sheep  of  the  Presby- 
terian fold,  and  everywhere  leaving  behind  him  some- 
thing in  the  way  of  organization  for  their  shepherding 
and  much  good  hope  and  comfort.  A  letter,  dated  four 
days  later,  finds  him  still  further  north  and  west  of  Bran- 
don. Having  left  Rapid  City  behind  him,  he  writes  as 
follows  : 

"You  see  I  have  made  another  stage  in  my  tour.  I 
sent  you  a  letter  from  Brandon  in  the  morning.  The  at- 
tendance at  Brandon  was  about  sixty.  The  service  was 
held  in  an  unfinished  house.  In  the  afternoon,  I  preached 
at  Grand  Valley,  about  three  miles  down  the  river.  The 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  205 

building  was  a  rude  shanty.  The  gaps  between  the 
boards  were  large  and  the  place  was  airy.  There  was  no 
floor,  not  even  a  door,  except  a  board  nailed  across  to 
keep  cattle  out.  Birds  had  come  in  freely  during  the  week 
evidently,  and  left  traces  of  their  presence  on  the  desk. 
'There  was  an  attendance  of  about  sixty-five.  At  the  close 
of  the  service  in  both  places  I  explained  to  the  peo- 
ple the  state  of  our  Mission  fund  and  got  committee  ap- 
pointed and  to  work.  Got  back  to  Brandon  by  dusk  and 
found  about  seventy  teams  crossing  the  ferry  from  the 
north  to  the  south  side  of  the  Assiniboine  loaded  with 
railroad  plant  and  oats.  It  is  too  bad  that  there  should  be 
such  utter  disregard  of  the  Sabbath  and  its  claims. 

"  Was  in  time  to  hear  part  of  a  sermon  from  Professor 
Burwash  of  Victoria  University,  Cobourg.  Went  out  on 
Monday  to  Elton,  about  twelve  or  thirteen  miles,  to  a 
station  of  Mr.  Hyde's.  Quite  a  number  assembled  there 
and  I  preached  and  organized  committees  and  gave  direc- 
tions. I  returned  home  and  went  to  call  on  a  minister,  Mr. 

F ,  who  is  settled  at  Grand  Valley,  but  who  does  not 

come  to  church.  I  found  him  at  home,  but  his  residence 
was  rude  and  uncomfortable.  He  had  some  men  harvest- 
ing for  him  and  a  neighbour  woman  cooking.  The  place 
was  very  uninviting.  Had  a  long  talk  with  him  and  a 
service  with  him  and  men,  and  found  that  he  made  the  ex- 
cuse of  poverty  the  plea  for  non-attendance  on  ordinances. 

"  Drove  to  Brandon,  and,  after  putting  horse  away, 
went  through  the  town  to  find  out  who  lived  in  it.  No- 
body appears  to  know  anybody  else  there.  They  speak 
to  each  other,  but  do  not  know  each  other's  names. 
Went  to  one  store  and  found  a  man  taking  in  some  goods 
that  had  been  exposed  all  day  at  the  door.  I  asked  whose 
store  it  was,  thinking  him  a  clerk.  He  scratched  his 
head  and  said,  '  Well,  I  don't  know  what  his  name  is. 
We  call  him  Johnny.' 


206       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

1  i  Next  morning  did  the  rest  of  Brandon  and  found  out 
who  the  Presbyterians  are.  Gave  a  list  to  Mr.  Ferries 
and  told  him  to  visit  them  all  and  any  others  coming  in. 
It  will  never  do  to  have  him  stationed  out  so  far.  If  he 
is  to  be  minister  there  he  must  reside  in  the  town."  Mr. 
Ferries  is,  doubtless,  on  a  homestead,  seeking  to  establish 
for  himself  and  his  family  a  home,  a  laudable  enough 
idea,  but  inconsistent  with  the  best  results  for  "  the 
Cause, "  hence  the  Superintendent  will  have  him  change 
his  base.  The  Cause  is  first ;  all  else,  however  worthy,  is 
second.  "Took  steps  also  for  a  place  in  which  to  wor- 
ship all  winter.  Nobody  there  has  any  means,  and  all 
are  too  busy  with  their  own  affairs  to  do  anything  except 

they  are  urged.     Mr.  F has  not  the  confidence  either. 

Fear  I  must  return  in  a  short  time  there.  Nothing  was 
done  in  either  place  for  winter  supply.  Left  Brandon 
and  travelled  to  Eapid  City,  twenty  or  twenty -five 
miles.  Left  there  to  come  to  Mr.  Smith's." 

At  this  point  he  is  upon  the  borderland  of  civilization, 
but  still  he  presses  his  way  into  the  then  unknown  terri- 
tory, till  he  reaches  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  post  at 
Fort  Ellis,  from  which  he  writes  the  following  note  to  his 
wife  : 

"  I  arrived  here  last  evening  at  sunset  and  held  service 
with  the  men  at  the  Fort.  Mr.  McDonald  is  absent  at 
Grand  Valley.  Mrs.  McDonald  did  much  to  make  me 
comfortable.  Mr.  Hodnett  came  up  with  me.  He  goes 
back  this  morning,  and  I  go  alone  to  Shell  Eiver,  thirty- 
five  miles  distant.  There  is  a  good  trail,  the  day  is  fine, 
and  I  have  no  fear.  There  was  frost  here  last  night,  the 
first  of  the  season.  The  sceneiy  here  is  very  fine.  Next 
year  I  must  bring  you  West  here  to  see  snatches  of 
scenery  that  have  pleased  me  much.  The  country  here 
differs  much  from  what  we  have  in  Eastern  Manitoba." 

By  September  27th  he  is  on  his  return  journey,  work- 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  207 

ing  his  way  back  towards  Winnipeg  where  he  has  to  meet 
his  Presbytery  with  his  Report.  Arriving  at  Gladstone, 
he  writes  to  his  wife  as  follows,  anxious  to  keep  in  touch 
with  her  as  best  as  he  can  : 

"You  see  I  am  coming  nearer  the  borders  of  civiliza- 
tion. I  am  now  within  forty  miles  or  so  of  the  cars,  and 
that  distance  can  be  travelled  in  a  day. 

"  I  left  Salisbury  on  the  morning  of  yesterday  and 
drove  to  the  Beautiful  Plains  country.  For  a  time  the 
land  looked  well,  although  it  is  somewhat  light. 

"We  reached  McGregor  Station  about  three  o'clock, 
and  saw  quite  a  number  of  people  about  the  door.  The 
house  was  full  of  very  respectable  people  and  I  found 
that  there  were  eight  children  to  be  baptized.  After 
service  we  discussed  Church  matters  and  had  fifty  or  sixty 
dollars  subscribed  on  the  spot  for  Mr.  Stewart's  salary. 
The  McGregors  are  from  near  our  place  and  knew  my 
father's  people.  Stayed  all  night.  I  knew  we  should  be 
among  the  beasts  at  Ephesus  at  night,  but  I  was  resigned. 
They  were  all  very  kind — not  the  beasts — but  one  could 

see  at  once  that  the  whole  place  must  be  full  of ." 

This  was  a  condition  of  things  almost  universally  preva- 
lent at  that  time  in  stopping  places  throughout  the  West, 
and  one  it  was  almost  impossible  to  prevent,  but  none  the 
less  trying  for  that.  Many  a  night  will  he  be  driven 
from  his  bed  before  < i  the  beasts  ' '  have  done  with  him. 
"Such  were  my  thoughts,  and  I  was  not  disappointed. 
My  arms  and  neck  had  plenty  of  pink  marks  with  a  dark 
spot  in  the  centre  as  I  washed  myself  this  morning.  This 
morning  they  took  us  out  after  breakfast  to  see  the 
garden,  and  it  was  a  fine  sight. 

"  Made  a  number  of  calls  this  afternoon.  To-morrow 
(D.  V.)  we  go  to  Blake  township,  northwest  of  Gladstone. 
To-morrow  evening  there  is  a  tea  meeting  when  they  ex- 
pect to  pay  off  the  debt  on  the  church.  Friday  we  go  to 


208       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Pine  Creek  and  Saturday  we  have  a  meeting  here.  Sab- 
bath I  preach  here  in  the  morning,  at  Woodside  in  the 
afternoon  and  Westbourne  in  the  evening.  Next  morn- 
ing I  drive  to  Portage  la  Prairie  and  reach  Winnipeg 
that  night.  The  meeting  of  Presbytery  is  the  following 
Wednesday  and  I  must  prepare  my  report  of  work  done 
and  get  ready  for  the  meeting  in  Toronto.  I  intend  to 
come  back  to  Burnside  and  preach  on  October  8th,  and 
see  the  stations  under  Mr.  McRae's  charge.  This  will 
occupy  my  time  for  two  days  or  so.  I  intend  to  leave 
for  Toronto  about  Thursday  of  that  week  and  will  try 
and  reach  you  Saturday,  so  as  to  spend  Sabbath  and  Mon- 
day there.  I  am  trying  to  arrange  ahead,  although  it  is 
not  easy.  I  ought  to  return  in  time  to  visit  stations  south 
of  the  Assiniboine  before  winter." 

In  this  whirlwind  manner,  preaching,  visiting,  organ- 
izing, crowding  his  days  and  his  nights  full  of  work,  he 
brings  to  a  close  his  first  missionary  tour,  having  driven 
his  buckboard  over  2,000  miles  and  having  conducted 
nearly  200  meetings  of  various  .kinds. 

He  brought  back  with  him  a  great  wealth  of  knowledge, 
exact,  and  in  detail,  concerning  every  village,  every  set- 
tlement and,  indeed,  every  homestead  he  had  visited. 
The  country  and  its  resources,  the  people,  their  ancestry, 
their  characteristics,  their  prospects,  their  difficulties,  too, 
and  their  needs,  the  progress  of  railway  building,  the  ad- 
ministration of  Government,  the  undeveloped  wealth  of 
the  country,  the  educational  requirements,  on  these  and 
other  subjects  relative  to  the  country  and  its  people,  he 
had  gathered  interesting,  full  and  accurate  information. 
Into  his  little  black  note-book,  but  still  more  into  his 
tenacious  memory,  he  had  packed  this  knowledge,  and 
all  of  it  he  will  use  some  day,  for  the  good  of  his  people 
and  for  the  glory  of  God. 

On  the  llth  of  October  the  Assembly's  Home  Mission 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  209 

Committee  met  in  Toronto,  and  to  this  Committee  the 
Superintendent  presented  his  first  report.  That  was  a 
distinguished  Committee,  and  it  was  not  without  trepida- 
tion he  met  them.  He  was  new  to  the  work  and  there 
were  great  men  on  that  Committee,  some  of  the  greatest  the 
Canadian  Church  has  known,  among  them  leaders  like 
Cochraue,  King,  Warden,  Macdonnell,  Laing,  Taylor. 
No  wonder  he  is  conscious  of  some  tremors.  But  the 
day  will  come  when  he  will  stand  the  peer  of  any  of  them. 
Modestly  he  presents  his  report,  making  light  of  his  la- 
bours, but  making  much  of  the  needs  of  the  people  he 
represents,  and  of  the  opportunities  the  field  offers.  The 
report  is  received  and  considered,  and,  doubtless,  is 
adopted,  though  of  this  there  is  no  record.  Nor  is 
there  mention  of  a  single  word  of  appreciation  by  this 
Committee  of  the  work  done  by  the  new  Superintendent. 
But  there  is  demand  made  of  him  by  this  financially  ex- 
acting and  painstaking  Committee  for  a  report  as  to  the 
expenditure  of  a  thousand  dollars  granted  the  spring  be- 
fore for  exploratory  work.  This,  happily,  the  Superin- 
tendent can  give,  but  only  in  the  merest  outline.  The  Com- 
mittee, however,  with  a  conscience  for  trust  funds  will  have 
no  outline  report  in  the  matter  of  expenditure  of  money. 
So,  with  the  thanks  of  his  Committee,  or  without  them, 
the  record  does  not  say,  but  with  their  demand  that  he 
should  account  rigidly  for  that  thousand  dollars,  he  goes 
back  again  to  his  work,  and  December  finds  him  again  on 
the  trail  in  Southern  Manitoba,  where,  in  company  with 
the  newly  appointed  missionary  of  Pilot  Mound,  the  Rev. 
James  Farquharson,  a  man  truly  after  his  own  heart,  he 
drives  over  a  large  section  of  that  country.  The  follow- 
ing extract  from  a  letter  written  long  afterwards  by 
Dr.  Farquharson  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  some  of  their 
experiences  on  that  trip  : 

"Dr.  Robertson  came  to  my  place  December,  1881. 


210       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

He  visited  the  stations  now  organized  as  Pilot  Mound, 
Crystal  City,  LaRiviere,  and  Snowflake.  Preaching  on 
the  Sabbath  at  Preston  and  Pilot  Mound,  on  Monday  he 
held  a  meeting  at  Clearwater  to  see  what  would  be  done 
towards  calling  a  minister.  After  dinner  we  started  for 
Cartwright,  sixteen  miles  west. 

"I  stayed  in  a  shack,  the  Doctor  visiting  two  families. 
He  came  back  that  night,  not  having  received  an  invita- 
tion to  remain  at  either  place  he  visited  over  night. 
We  passed  a  night  never  to  be  forgotten  by  either  of  us. 

"Next  morning  we  went  to  Mr.  LaRiviere' s  at  Turtle 
Mountain,  a  distance  of  thirty  miles,  over  a  bleak  prairie. 
The  Doctor  preached  there  and  left  an  appointment  for 
organization  on  our  return.  Mr.  LaRiviere  had  treated 
us  with  very  great  kindness.  He  was  a  French  Canadian. 
The  next  morning  we  drove  along  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tains sixteen  miles,  and  had  dinner  at  Mr.  Miller's.  Left 
an  appointment  for  our  return ;  continued  west  sixteen 
miles  to  Mr.  Newcome's  and  stayed  over  night,  preached 
and  organized  there,  and  baptized  some  children.  Kindly 
treated  by  Mr.  Newcome,  who  was  Dominion  Land  Agent. 

"  Returned  for  the  night  to  Mr.  Miller's.  The  Doctor 
preached,  organized,  and  baptized.  We  took  a  list  of 
members  of  the  Episcopalian  and  Methodists  to  present 
to  their  own  Churches."  He  is  frankly  and  very  keenly 
a  Presbyterian,  but  he  is  a  gentleman  as  well,  and  a 
Christian,  and  on  his  record  there  is  no  stain  by  reason 
of  failure  in  the  Christian  courtesy  that  refuses  to  take 
advantage  of  a  sister  Church.  "  Were  very  kindly 
treated.  Returned  to  Mr.  LaRiviere' s,  preached,  organ- 
ized, and  remained  over  night.  It  was  pleasant  to  see 
how  he  would  get  the  confidence  of  the  people.  He 
was  simply  Mr.  Robertson,  one  of  themselves. 

' l  We  broke  our  cutter,  and  had  to  buy  a  jumper  from  the 
half-breeds.  We  fastened  the  cutter  on  top  of  the  jumper, 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  211 

and  the  next  morning  drove  to  my  place,  a  distance  of 
fifty  miles. 

"  It  was  on  that  tour  that  Dr.  Robertson  decided  that 
the  number  of  children  for  a  school  should  be  changed 
from  fourteen  to  eight.  Owing  to  the  amount  of  railroad 
land,  the  country  was  very  thinly  settled.  As  he  ex- 
pressed it — we  must  meet  the  educational  needs  of  the 
children,  or  the  next  generation  will  grow  up  in  igno- 
rance. At  the  first  meeting  of  the  School  Board  in  Win- 
nipeg he  brought  the  matter  up  and  had  the  number 
changed  from  fourteen  to  eight  scholars  for  a  school. 

"  I  have  heard  Dr.  Robertson  tell  how  the  vermin  he 
carried  with  him  after  that  night  at  Cartwright  became 
so  intolerable  that  when  he  reached  LaRiviere's  little 
store  at  what  is  now  Wakopa,  he  bought  a  suit  of  under- 
clothing. When  he  asked  for  the  clothing,  LaRiviere 
said,  'What?  Did  you  sleep  at  the  Badger?7  (The 
early  name  for  Cartwright.)'7 

A  little  later  the  tour  of  this  part  of  Manitoba  was 
completed,  of  which  Dr.  Farquharson  writes  as  follows : 

"  Again  I  accompanied  him  on  a  tour  of  visitation  for 
four  or  five  days.  He  usually  addressed  two  meetings  a 
day,  and  always  one,  and  drove  from  ten  to  twenty  miles. 
We  had  expected  that  the  meeting  on  the  Friday  evening 
would  close  the  week's  work,  so  that  each  of  us  might 
return  to  our  place  of  preaching  for  the  Sabbath  ;  but  at 
the  close  of  the  Friday  evening  meeting  we  learned  .that 
there  was  a  settlement  about  twelve  miles  further  on, 
composed  largely  of  Presbyterians,  in  which  there  was  no 
service.  Immediately  our  plans  were  changed,  so  that 
Saturday  could  be  spent  in  the  new  settlement.  That 
night  was  spent  in  <a  stopping  place,'  and  Dr.  Robertson 
and  I  roomed  together  in  a  small  bedroom  off  the  sitting- 
room.  We  roomed  together,  but  we  slept  not,  neither 
did  we  lie  down  to  rest.  A  hurried  inspection  revealed 


212       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

the  fact  that  the  bed  was  preempted  by  the  living  pest 
which  a  man  shakes  not  off,  as  in  the  morning  he  crawls 
from  under  the  bedclothing.  We  determined  to  keep 
the  fire  in  the  sitting-room  going,  and  so  maintain  a 
degree  of  comfort  during  the  winter  night.  But  some 
parties,  by  making  a  bed  beside  the  sitting-room  stove, 
spoiled  our  plan  and  imprisoned  us  in  our  room  for  the 
night.  We  walked  the  floor,  we  jumped,  and,  if  not 
very  artistically,  at  least  with  some  vigour,  we  danced, 
that  the  temperature  of  the  body  might  be  maintained  at 
a  considerably  higher  rate  than  the  temperature  of  the 
room.  The  night  passed,  and  so  did  the  breakfast  hour, 
and  we  started  on  our  twelve- mile  drive. 

"  On  arriving  at  the  centre  of  the  settlement,  a  house 
for  the  evening  meeting  was  very  cordially  placed  at 
our  disposal,  and  we  started  to  drive  round  the  settle- 
ment for  the  purpose  of  inviting  the  people  to  the  meet- 
ing. Returning,  we  had  supper  and  awaited  the  arrival 
of  the  congregation. 

"In  a  small  dwelling-house  with  low  ceiling,  some 
twenty  settlers  gathered  for  the  service.  What  is  there 
in  such  a  meeting  place  or  in  such  a  company  to  arouse 
the  enthusiasm  of  the  preacher?  There  would  have 
been  nothing  surprising  if  the  languor  incident  to  a 
week  of  such  work  and  a  sleepless  night  had  robbed  the 
address  of  every  particle  of  life.  Yet  Dr.  Robertson 
spoke  with  all  the  vigour  of  the  man  who  steps  out  from 
his  comfortable  study  to  an  equally  comfortable  church 
and  a  congregation  capable  of  inspiring  enthusiasm  for 
the  one  service  of  the  day.  That  night  another  station 
was  added  to  Manitoba's  rapidly  growing  list  of  preach- 
ing stations. 

"  Early  next  morning  we  parted,  Dr.  Robertson  to  go 
west  and  I  east.  He  would  travel  at  least  forty  miles 
that  day,  probably  more." 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  213 

Nothing  appeared  to  tire  him,  so,  at  least,  we  thought 
at  that  time.  We  found  later  that  the  eager,  invincible 
spirit  was  chafing  thin  even  that  sinewy  body. 

So  the  winter  months  find  him  still  on  the  trail,  heed- 
less of  frost  or  blizzard,  till  the  holiday  season  is  upon 
him,  and  he  writes  this  touching  Christmas  letter  dated 
December  26th  from  Winnipeg,  Man. 

"MY  DEAR  WIFE  : — 

u  It  is  nearly  four  in  the  morning  and  I  have  not 
gone  to  bed  yet.  I  am  going  west  to-morrow,  or  rather 
to-day,  as  far  as  Big  Plains,  and  I  am  getting  things  into 
shape.  I  have  been  writing  all  day  and  have  just  got 
through.  Xmas  was  a  quiet  day  with  me  this  year.  Many 
a  time  during  the  day  I  wondered  what  you  were  all 
doing.  I  would  have  given  a  good  deal  to  have  been 
with  you.  What  did  my  poor  children  get  for  presents 
this  year,  and  mamma?  I  could  not  get  anything 
through  the  post  of  any  account,  and  I  concluded  to  get 
my  presents  when  I  went  down.  How  I  would  have 
liked  to  see  their  pleasant  glee  and  to  hear  their  noises 
in  the  morning.  But  I  must  do  without,  this  year.  I 
went  into  several  stores  on  Saturday  and  envied  the  folks 
buying  for  their  children.  But  after  this  year  I  trust  to 
be  with  you  at  Xmas.  Mr.  Hart  invited  Thomson  and 
myself  for  midday  dinner.  We  had  a  swell  affair, 
though  no  plum  pudding.  A  special  dinner  was  served 
at  the  Queens  at  night.  I  send  you  the  bill  of  fare.  The 
place  was  hung  with  Chinese  lanterns  and  everything 
was  most  tastefully  arranged.  The  waiting,  as  usual, 
was  abominable,  and  the  dinner  was  spoiled.  The  folks 
succeeded  in  getting  well  drunk.  I  got  away  after  the 
eating  was  done.  I  thought  I  saw  some  women  who 
were  a  little  funny  after  the  affair.  ...  I  am  try- 
ing to  get  up  a  church  building  scheme.  I  enclose  a 


214:       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

circular  so  that  you  can  see  what  it  is.  It  is  necessary 
that  something  be  done.  I  am  promised  some  aid  here, 
and  after  canvassing  the  city  I  will  see  what  can  be  done 
below. 

"Knox  Church  is  talking  about  selling  the  Church 
again.  They  want  $100,000,  for  it.  Should  they  get  it 
I  want  them  to  head  the  list  with  $10,000." 

Christmas  is  a  great  family  festival  with  the  Robert- 
sons, but  this  Christmas  is  to  the  father  and  mother,  at 
least,  one  of  the  sad  days  of  the  year,  for  on  that  day  of 
all  days  the  fact  of  separation  is  borne  in  upon  them  most 
heavily.  "  After  this  year  I  trust  to  be  with  you  at 
Christmas."  How  little  they  knew,  and  how  good  they 
did  not  know,  that  once  and  once  only  during  nineteen 
years  will  he  eat  Christmas  dinner  with  his  family. 
Every  year  he  plans  to  get  home,  and  every  year  duty 
imperatively  forbids  his  indulging  his  desire.  So  a  letter, 
and  always  a  telegram,  will  need  to  bring  the  Christmas 
greetings  to  wife  and  children  year  after  year. 

Early  in  March  he  is  touring  the  East  in  the  interests 
of  the  Church  and  Manse  Building  Fund,  in  which  busi- 
ness he  will  persist  till  the  meeting  of  the  General  As- 
sembly. To  that  Assembly  he  presents  his  first  report 
as  Superintendent  of  Missions.  That  report  goes  far  to 
settle  the  mind  of  the  Church  as  to  the  wisdom  of  its  ac- 
tion in  making  appointment  of  a  Superintendent  of  Mis- 
sions. The  report  does  more.  It  impresses  upon  the 
Church  the  fact  that  henceforth,  and  for  some  years,  there 
must  be  serious  reckoning  with  the  mission  field  lying 
beyond  the  Lakes.  There  is  something  doing  in  that 
country,  and  the  Church  would  do  well  to  take  heed 
thereof.  Those  buckboard  journeys  of  the  Superintend- 
ent have  been  productive  of  valuable  discoveries,  1,000 
families,  for  instance,  900  Presbyterian  young  men  and 
young  women,  mostly  young  men,  900  members  in  full 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  216 

communion,  all  of  whom,  till  the  Superintendent  found 
them,  had  escaped  the  observation  of  the  Church.  More 
than  this,  the  report  awakened  suspicion  that  there  were 
still  many  undiscovered  in  the  byways  of  the  new  land. 
But  something  had  been  accomplished  for  the  shepherd- 
ing of  these.  No  fewer  than  forty  new  stations  had  been 
planted  upon  the  prairie,  and  fourteen  new  congregations 
had  been  settled,  while,  to  use  his  own  great  phrase, 
"visibility  and  permanence"  had  been  given  to  the 
cause  by  the  erection  of  ten  new  churches.  Further,  the 
report  makes  evident  that  the  appointment  of  a  Superin- 
tendent has  been  financially  justified,  for  by  reason  of 
organization  and  good  management  there  has  accrued  to 
the  coffers  of  the  Church  a  gain  of  $26,000  over  last  year, 
and  for  the  Home  Mission  Fund  alone  an  increase  of  more 
than  what  will  pay  the  Superintendent's  salary. 

In  that  first  report  we  catch  two  notes  that  presage  a 
policy  in  mission  and  educational  administration  fraught 
with  large  advantage  to  the  West.  One,  the  warning 
that  the  abandoning  of  mission  fields  during  the  winter 
season  means  serious  loss  to  the  Church  ;  the  other,  the 
suggestion  that  for  the  adequate  supply  of  missionaries 
for  the  West  there  must  one  day  be  a  Western  Theological 
College.  In  this  warning  and  in  this  suggestion  we  have 
the  germs  of  the  Summer  Session,  and  of  the  Theological 
Department  of  Manitoba  College. 

But  wonderful  as  had  been  the  development  of  the 
country  and  the  expansion  of  Home  Mission  operations 
during  the  year  1881-1882,  when  the  Superintendent  met 
the  General  Assembly  of  1883  he  had  a  story  to  tell  that 
made  that  venerable  body  sit  wide  awake.  This  report 
for  1883  is  perhaps  in  some  senses  the  greatest  paper  ever 
presented  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Canada.  It  is  a 
striking  presentation  of  startling  and  inspiring  facts  and 
is  a  masterpiece  of  logical  and  incisive  reasoning,  and  it 


216       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

is  worthy  of  a  permanent  place  in  the  story  of  the  making 
of  Western  Canada.  It  is  the  statement,  not  of  a  church- 
man alone  interested  in  the  progress  of  his  peculiar  de- 
nomination. True,  he  is  an  official  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  but  he  is  more  ;  he  is  a  Canadian,  loyal,  devoted 
to  his  country's  good,  and  enthusiastically  optimistic  for 
the  West  and  pledged  to  its  development.  He  is  a  states- 
man with  a  statesman's  eye  for  strategic  moments  in  the 
national  life.  He  is  a  man  of  affairs  with  instincts  for 
financial  returns.  But,  more  than  all,  he  is  a  man  with 
human  sympathies,  keenly  alive  to  the  trials  and  struggles 
of  men  and  women  fighting  their  long  lonely  fight  as 
pioneers  in  a  new  land.  The  report  is  worth  reading. 
Here,  for  instance,  is  a  picture  of  the  West  striding  on 
to  greatness : 

"Last  year  witnessed  a  greater  advance  in  the  work  of 
our  Church  in  the  Northwest  than  any  previous  year 
in  its  history.  The  construction  of  the  Canadian  Pacific 
Railway  has  given  a  great  impetus  to  settlement.  Large 
numbers  of  men  find  employment  in  building  the  road 
and  in  procuring  ties  and  timber.  The  railway  affords 
to  settlers  a  quick  and  easy  method  of  reaching  the  fertile 
lands  of  the  interior,  and  provides  a  market  for  the  prod- 
ucts of  the  soil.  The  Government  Railway  and  Land 
Companies  have  also  succeeded  in  directing  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  stream  of  emigration,  from  Great  Britain 
and  the  continent  of  Europe,  to  the  Northwest.  Few  are 
aware  of  how  rapidly  the  country  is  being  settled.  Nearly 
450  miles  of  the  main  line  were  graded  and  ironed  last 
season.  For  300  miles  west  of  Brandon  the  road  lies 
through  a  continuous  stretch  of  good  agricultural  land. 
For  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  on  both  sides  of  the  line  the 
even  numbered  sections  have  been  preempted,  or  entered 
as  homesteads.  The  railway  company,  owing  to  its  lib- 
eral terms,  has  also  disposed  of  a  good  deal  of  its  land 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  217 

contiguous  to  the  line.  Large  settlements  are  also  found 
along  the  left  bank  of  the  Qu'  Appelle  and  the  right  bank 
of  the  South  Saskatchewan.  Southwestern  Manitoba  has 
attracted  a  large  number  of  immigrants,  and  they  have 
passed  westward  over  the  boundary  line  into  the  new 
Province  of  Assiniboia.  For  125  miles  west  of  the  Turtle 
Mountain  there  is  now  a  continuous  settlement.  It  would 
be  within  the  mark  to  say  that  between  eighty  and  one 
hundred  townships,  of  thirty -six  square  miles  each,  were 
settled  in  this  quarter  alone  during  the  year.  In  other 
words,  there  were  two  belts  settled  last  season,  the  one 
along  the  railway  west  of  Brandon,  about  300  miles  in 
length  (as  far  as  from  Toronto  to  Montreal),  and  from 
twenty-five  to  fifty  in  width  ;  and  the  other  in  South- 
western Manitoba,  125  miles  in  length,  and  from  eighteen 
to  twenty-five  miles  wide." 

And  who  in  all  Canada  was  aware  of  all  this  taking 
place  ?  And  who  would  look  for  such  facts  in  a  Church 
report  I  The  report  proceeds  :  ' '  Much  land  in  the 
eastern  parts  of  the  country,  which  had  been  passed  over 
by  the  fastidious  settlers  of  a  few  years  ago,  was  also 
taken  up.  Settlement  is  also  stretching  northward,  from 
Fort  Qu' Appelle  towards  Prince  Albert,  a  number  of 
families  having  found  a  home  last  year  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  Touchwood  Hills.  Along  the  railway,  towns 
and  villages  are  fast  springing  up,  which  will  soon  be- 
come important  centres  of  trade.  Two  years  ago,  in 
Brandon  there  was  not  a  house  ;  now  there  is  a  town  of 
4,000  souls.  Steps  are  taken  everywhere  to  effect  munici- 
pal organization,  and  to  provide  schools  and  the  other 
requisites  of  civilized  life." 

He  can  speak  with  authority,  for  well  does  he  know 
every  municipality.  He  has  driven  through  them  all  in 
his  buckboard  or  cutter.  Then  like  a  knife-thrust  he 
pierces  the  conscience  of  his  Church  with  this  pertinent 


218       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

question,  "What  is  to  be  done  for  the  spiritual  welfare 
of  such  centres'?"  That  question  he  will  continue  to 
press,  now  in  one  form  and  now  in  another,  till  the 
Church  will  take  heed.  Then,  remembering  he  is  ad- 
dressing himself  especially  to  Presbyterians,  he  gives 
them  this  as  food  for  thought : 

"The  volume  of  immigration  last  season  was  estimated 
at  between  45,000  and  50,000.  As  in  the  past,  the  new- 
comers were  largely  members  and  adherents  of  our  own 
Church.  The  arrivals  from  England  and  Scotland  were 
more  numerous  than  in  any  previous  year.  They  express 
themselves  as  pleased  with  the  country  and  their  pros- 
pects, and  are  inviting  their  relatives  and  acquaintances 
to  join  them.  Through  the  influence  of  our  present 
population  we  may  confidently  expect  that  for  years  to 
come  immigration  from  Ontario  and  Britain  will  be 
largely  of  the  religious  complexion  of  past  years.  The 
Presbyterian  Church,  therefore,  should  regard  as  settled 
the  fact  that  upon  her  falls  largely  the  responsibility  of 
giving  the  Gospel  to  this  incoming  population." 

"  Responsibility,"  that  is  the  word  for  a  Church  with  a 
conscience  towards  God  in  regard  to  the  country  in  which 
by  His  eternal  decree  she  finds  herself  placed.  She  has 
been  attempting  to  meet  this  responsibility,  and  with 
some  success.  But  the  report  goes  on  :  "  Only  occa- 
sional supply  could  be  given  west  of  Brandon  during  the 
autumn  and  winter.  There  were  nearly  400  townships  in 
which  were  to  be  found  thousands  of  Presbyterians  to 
whom  no  minister  of  our  Church  broke  the  Bread  of  Life. 
During  the  last  six  months  there  were  extensive  districts 
in  which  no  minister  of  any  Church  conducted  religious 
services."  And  then  follows  this  pregnant  word  :  "If 
Christian  effort  is  thus  stinted  in  the  infancy  of  the  coun- 
try, permanent  injury  will  be  inflicted." 

The  problem  of  mission  work  in  the  West  is,  in  the  last 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  219 

analysis,  a  problem  of  men.  Given  a  sufficient  number 
of  missionaries  and  of  the  right  stamp,  and  the  highest 
interests  of  the  country  will  be  secure.  But  not  every 
man  will  do.  So  the  Superintendent  has  discovered. 

"The  minister  that  will  attract  and  hold  these  people 
must  commend  himself  to  them  as  a  man  and  a  Christian. 
With  them  the  office  and  denomination  will  avail  little  ; 
but  personal  character  and  pulpit-power  much.  The  lame 
in  intellect,  or  the  limping  in  education,  will  have  a  thin 
audience.77  Good  men  they  must  be,  but  they  must  be 
well  cared  for.  Hence  salaries  must  be  adequate  and 
homes  provided.  "  No  Church  can  afford  to  starve  its 
pioneers.77  But  though  the  supply  of  labourers  has  been 
wofully  inadequate,  the  progress  of  the  work  has  not 
been  inconsiderable.  Whereas  in  1882  there  was  reported 
a  gain  of.  forty  stations,  this  year  the  gain  is  fifty-one, 
and  fourteen  congregations  have  erected  church  build- 
ings. 

The  Superintendent  always  has  an  eye  to  the  hard- 
headed  Scots  that  form  the  majority  of  the  business  men 
of  his  Church,  and  to  whom  he  well  knows  he  must  look 
for  the  financial  support  of  this  great  work,  and,  there- 
fore, he  is  at  pains  to  make  it  clear  that  this  Home  Mis- 
sion business  is  a  paying  investment.  And  hence,  the  re- 
port calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  there  has  been  a  gain 
throughout  the  Presbytery  in  contributions  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  ministry  of  over  $12,000,  in  contributions  for 
the  schemes  of  the  Church,  a  gain  of  nearly  $2,500  and  for 
all  purposes  a  gain  of  nearly  $40,000.  This  astonishing 
result  will  be  in  the  Superintendent7  s  hands  a  mighty 
lever  for  the  prying  open  of  the  money  chests  of  these 
same  business  men. 

The  report  closes  with  an  exhaustive  estimate  of  the 
undeveloped  resources  of  the  country  in  agricultural 
products,  cattle  and  horses,  coal  and  other  minerals. 


220       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

The  final  words  of  this  report  constitute  this  noble  ap- 
peal : 

i(  The  next  few  years  are  to  decide  largely  the  religious 
future  of  this  country.  God  is  calling  on  us  to  go  in  and 
possess  the  land.  The  success  vouchsafed  to  us  in  the 
past,  the  possibilities  of  the  country  and  the  religious 
wants  of  its  people,  should  stimulate  us,  as  patriots,  as 
men  and  Christians,  to  accomplish  what  God  has  given  us 
to  do.  May  God  grant  that  we  may  discern  the  signs  of 
the  times  and  in  His  strength  go  forward." 

The  effect  upon  the  Assembly  of  this  great  report  and 
of  the  modest  but  great  speech  of  the  Superintendent  is 
remembered  yet  by  many  who  were  present  that  day. 
In  that  brief  hour,  it  is  safe  to  say,  the  Church  passed  into 
a  distinctly  new  era  of  Home  Mission  work.  She  began 
to  realize  somewhat  dimly,  it  is  true,  that  the  day  of 
small  things  had  gone,  that  the  time  for  large  measures 
had  come. 

It  was  this  Assembly  of  1883  that,  in  response  to  an 
overture  from  Manitoba  Presbytery,  instituted  a  Theolog- 
ical Faculty  in  Manitoba  College,  and  appointed  as  Prin- 
cipal and  Professor  in  Divinity,  one  of  her  most  distin- 
guished ministers,  holding  one  of  the  most  important 
charges  in  the  Church. 

Seldom  has  the  wisdom  of  the  General  Assembly  been 
more  signally  manifested  than  in  the  choice  of  the  Rev. 
J.  M.  King,  at  that  time  minister  of  St.  James'  Square 
Church,  Toronto,  to  be  Principal  of  Manitoba  College. 
In  a  time  of  serious  financial  depression  throughout  the 
Province,  and  with  the  College  almost  hopelessly  in  debt, 
he  took  charge  of  its  affairs,  and  before  many  years  had 
passed  was  able  to  report  the  College  free  of  debt,  with 
its  building  doubled  in  size,  and  with  an  endowment 
fund  of  very  considerable  magnitude.  From  the  time 
of  his  appointment  till  his  death,  Manitoba  College 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— I  221 

ranked  easily  first  among  the  educational  institutions  in 
the  West. 

In  the  promoting  of  the  overture  in  Presbytery,  and  in 
supporting  it  before  the  Assembly,  the  Superintendent 
took  a  leading  part.  None  saw  more  clearly  than  he  that 
the  moral  and  intellectual  future  of  the  West  was  bound 
up  with  the  establishing  and  equipping  of  adequate  insti- 
tutions of  learning.  Throughout  its  whole  history,  the 
Superintendent  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  College,  and  be- 
tween the  Principal  and  himself  there  remained  unbroken 
to  the  end  a  bond  of  mutual  affection  and  respect.  Their 
spheres,  though  distinct,  included  much  common  ground, 
for  the  progress  of  the  one  involved  that  of  the  other, 
and  though  each  of  these  strong  men  pushed  his  own 
special  work  with  all  the  intensity  of  his  nature,  they 
each  recognized  that  ultimately  the  aim  of  both  was  the 
same,  namely,  the  moral  and  spiritual  elevation  of  West- 
ern Canada.  There  was  no  more  enthusiastic  champion 
of  Home  Missions  than  Principal  King,  and  no  more 
staunch  friend  of  the  College  than  the  Superintendent  of 
Missions,  though  the  Principal  was  heard  to  aver  with 
that  grim  humour  that  was  his  own,  i  i  The  Superintendent 
preaches  on  Manitoba  College  and  takes  up  a  collection 
for  Home  Missions. " 

It  was  this  year,  too,  that  the  Manitoba  Presbytery 
presented  a  memorial  to  the  Assembly  praying  for  the 
division  of  the  Presbytery  into  three,  and  setting  forth  at 
length  the  arrangement  desired,  with  reasons  therefor. 
The  Assembly  appointed  a  special  committee  to  deal  with 
the  memorial,  which  committee  suggested  that  the  matter 
be  referred  to  the  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee. 


XXIV 

FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II 

IMMEDIATELY  after  the  rising  of  Assembly  the 
Superintendent  paid  a  short  visit  to  his  family,  but 
even  these  few  days  were  filled  up  with  interviews, 
correspondence,  and  meetings,  and  in  a  very  few  weeks 
he  was  once  more  on  the  Western  trails. 

Settlement  had  been  rapidly  extending  during  the  sum- 
mer in  the  country  lying  north  and  west,  towards  Prince 
Albert  and  Battleford.  And,  indeed,  far  beyond  that 
outpost,  on  the  way  towards  Edmonton,  settlers  had 
planted  their  homes  upon  the  wide  and  trackless  prairie. 
Hence  they  must  be  followed  and  cared  for.  From  a 
point  fifteen  miles  north  of  Fort  Qu' Appelle  on  his  way 
to  Prince  Albert,  in  company  with  the  Eev.  Mr.  McWill- 
iams,  who  is  to  be  installed  as  minister  of  that  field,  the 
Superintendent  writes  to  his  wife  under  date,  September 
25th,  1883,  giving  the  following  description  of  the  country 
through  which  he  is  passing  : 

"The  country  south  of  the  Qu' Appelle  Valley,  i.  e., 
between  Qu' Appelle  Station  and  Fort  Qu' Appelle,  is 
rolling,  with  a  few  bushes  and  pond  holes.  Owing  to  the 
dry  weather  these  are  dry.  There  were  but  few  settlers' 
houses  to  be  seen,  and  only  two  or  three  patches  of  grain 
broke  the  monotony  of  the  unreclaimed  waste.  I  under- 
stand that  a  company  owns  much  of  the  land,  and  if  so, 
it  is  evident  that  these  companies  are  proving  a  curse 
and  not  a  blessing — hindering  rather  than  helping  settle- 
ment." He  is  somewhat  before  his  time.  Not  yet  have 
the  people  of  Canada  come  to  the  determination  that  the 

222 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II  223 

lands  of  the  Dominion  shall  be  held  or  sold  for  the  good 
of  the  Dominion  and  its  people,  and  not  for  that  of  any 
company  or  corporation  soever.  "  Fort  Qu'Appelle  is 
as  attractive  as  ever.  It  lies  in  the  valley  at  the  east  end 
of  a  lake,  with  the  Qu'Appelle  River  flowing  past.  To 
the  east,  within  a  mile,  another  lake  gleams  in  the  sun. 
To  the  north  the  brown  hills,  deeply  furrowed,  look  down 
upon  it,  with  a  few  whitewashed,  thatch- covered  build- 
ings used  by  the  mounted  police  as  barracks  nestling  at 
their  foot.  On  the  south  rise  the  banks,  as  on  the 
north,  to  a  height  of  about  three  hundred  feet,  but  their 
face  is  softened  with  clumps  of  poplar  that  now  are  yellow 
and  rich*  Through  the  valley,  which  is  about  a  mile 
wide,  are  scattered  houses  that  were  and  are  used  as  pri- 
vate residences,  stores,  stopping-places,  and  stables.  The 
Hudson's  Bay  Fort  is  like  the  majority  of  their  buildings, 
and  with  a  stockade  which  is  no  longer  kept  in  repair. 
The  town  itself  has  grown  a  good  deal  since  I  saw  it  last 
year.  There  are  several  good  buildings,  and  more  are  in 
course  of  erection.  One  large  hotel  is  being  built. "  This 
was  one  of  the  new  fields  erected  the  year  before,  and  the 
Superintendent  is  pleased  to  note  the  good  work  done. 
"  Mr.  Brown,  our  missionary  in  the  district,  held  services 
here  last  summer,  occupying  some  five  other  posts  be- 
sides this.  The  place  of  meeting  is  a  hall  built  by  Mr. 
Arch.  McDonald.  This  hall  is  used  for  public  gath- 
erings of  all  kinds,  whether  social,  political,  or  religious. 
The  company  owning  it  charge  $2  per  Sabbath  for  the 
use  of  it.  No  doubt  this  will  give  fair  interest  on  the 
capital !  .  .  .  On  inquiring,  we  found  that  a  good 
deal  of  land  is  settled  upon,  and  Mr.  McDonald  of  Fort 
Qu'Appelle  informed  us  that  within  twenty  miles  of  the 
Fort  scarcely  a  good  section  of  Government  land  was  un- 
allotted. The  settlers  are  principally  Canadian,  although 
there  is  a  sprinkling  of  French  half-breeds,  and  English 


224:       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

and  Scotch.  Mr.  Brown  was  the  only  missionary  of  any 
Church  that  held  services  here,  and  his  work  was  very 
much  appreciated.'7  But  there  can  be  no  delay.  They 
must  make  Prince  Albert  as  soon  as  possible,  for  Mr. 
Sieveright,  the  minister  in  charge,  is  anxious  to  leave 
the  field,  so  on  they  go.  "  To-morrow  we  drive  forty- 
five  miles  and  stop,  they  say,  at  Touchwood  Hills.  We 
have  a  bed  here  to-night,  and  will  have  a  house  for  shel- 
ter every  night  but  one,  when  we  must  be  content  with  a 
small  tent.  Provisions  we  carry  with  us,  including  a 
boiled  ham.  Canned  meats  and  biscuit  constitute  the 
staple  of  our  fare.  I  will  try  and  send  you  a  note  to- 
morrow. Waggons  and  carts  go  down  all  the  time  and  I 
may  be  able  to  get  a  letter  sent.  Telegraph  line  goes  all 
the  way  to  Humboldt." 

The  following  day  he  writes  from  Touchwood  Hills, 
giving  a  vivid  picture  of  his  experience  on  the  trails  : 

"  Another  day's  journey  is  over,  and  we  have  just  dis- 
posed of  our  supper  and  are  at  leisure  for  a  short  time. 
The  Hudson's  Bay  post  is  within  half  a  mile  of  us,  and  I 
propose  to  go  down  and  hold  a  service  there  this  even- 
ing." Let  the  others  stretch  their  weary  limbs  in  rest. 
This  man  has  a  message  in  his  heart  for  these  men  of  the 
far-away  plains  of  Canada,  and  he  is,  indeed,  straitened 
till  it  be  delivered.  "  The  day  was  dry,  but  somewhat 
cold.  In  the  morning  there  was  a  frost  that  would  indi- 
cate that  the  thermometer  had  fallen  as  low  as  twenty -five 
or  twenty-six  degrees.  It  was  quite  misty  at  the  start, 
but  a  breeze  began  to  blow  about  eight  o'clock  and  the 
mist  cleared  away.  We  drove  twenty-two  or  twenty- 
three  miles  and  had  dinner.  This  distance  we  travelled 
in  about  four  hours,  leaving  O'Brien's  at  six  and  making 
our  stopping-place  at  ten.  There  was  a  house,  but  Mc- 
Lean forgot  the  key  and  we  could  not  get  in.  We  kin- 
dled a  fire  outside  and  boiled  the  kettle  and  had  dinner 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II  225 

— bread,  canned  tongue,  butter,  and  tea.  We  all  relished 
our  meal  after  our  morning  drive.  The  fire  we  had  to 
watch  carefully  to  prevent  spreading,  and  as  soon  as  the 
kettle  was  boiled  we  drowned  out  the  fire.  Tea  was  black 
and  strong,  and  our  tin,  being  without  a  lid,  we'got  a  good 
infusion  of  ashes  and  smoke.  .  .  .  Late  in  the  after- 
noon we  passed  at  the  Touchwood  Hills  quite  a  number 
of  teepees  and  several  half-breed  houses.  The  latter  had 
patches  of  grain,  and  much  of  it  was  still  in  the  field. 
The  weather  is  dry,  however,  and  no  doubt  all  will  be 
safely  stacked.  The  land  at  Touchwood  is  hilly,  but 
the  soil  is  good,  and  no  doubt  in  a  short  time  will  be  set- 
tled. We  arrived  here  at  five  o>  clock,  making  the  twenty- 
two  or  twenty-three  miles  this  afternoon  in  five  hours. 
To-morrow  we  are  at  Salt  Plains.'7 

The  next  day  he  makes  some  twenty-five  miles,  and 
camps  at  night  in  an  old  shack,  none  too  comfort- 
able. 

"  To-night  we  are  to  lodge  in  a  place  7x12,  partitioned 
off  from  the  stable.  A  lot  of  hay  covers  the  floor,  a  rusty 
stove  is  standing  in  the  corner,  which,  with  a  rickety 
table,  constitute  the  furniture.  We  found  a  lantern  which 
will  answer  for  a  light.  The  side  is  quite  airy,  the  boards 
having  shrunk  a  good  deal.  But  I  have  a  good  tuque, 
or  nightcap,  and  I  hope  to  keep  warm  enough.  I  have 
two  buffalo  robes,  two  pairs  of  blankets,  and  other  appli- 
ances that  will  likely  keep  me  comfortable.  Three  teams 
besides  our  own  drove  in  here  just  now  and  are  going  to 
remain  all  night.  I  think  the  room  will  afford  sufficient 
accommodation  to  enable  us  to  lie  down.  To-morrow  we 
expect  to  make  Humboldt  at  six." 

A  letter  written  the  following  day  gives  an  account  of 
his  night's  experience  : 

"  Last  night  our  quarters  were  humble  enough.  Seven 
of  us  lay  side  by  side  in  the  shanty,  and  the  open  spaces 


226       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

let  in  a  good  deal  of  cold.  Some  of  our  company  were 
great  snorers,  the  horses  were  pawing  and  coughing,  and 
Mr.  Me  Williams,  I  fear,  slept  but  little.  The  frost  was 
decidedly  sharp  when  we  got  up.  Breakfasted  before 
daylight  and  got  a  good  start  before  sunrise.  The  road 
this  morning  for  nearly  twenty  miles  lay  along  the  Salt 
Plain,  when  we  struck  higher  land  and  timber.  The 
day  is  clear  and  bright,  and  travelling  comfortable.  But 
dinner  is  ready  —  things  are  primitive  and  plain  —  and  I 
must  go  to  work  and  do  justice  to  my  share.  The  plates 
of  the  rest  of  our  company,  and  cups,  were  left  behind, 
and  Mr.  Me  Williams  and  myself  eat  off  the  same  plate 
and  drink  out  of  the  same  cup  !  " 

At  this  point  he  meets  Sieveright  and  pumps  him  dry 
in  regard  to  his  mission  field.  In  due  time,  the  Superin- 
tendent reaches  Prince  Albert,  spends  a  couple  of  days 
there  getting  Mr.  Me  Williams  settled  in  his  charge,  per- 
fecting the  organization  of  the  congregation,  and  making 
acquaintance  with  the  Presbyterians  in  the  village  and 
the  surrounding  country  ;  then  once  more  he  takes  the 
trail  to  Battleford.  The  genial  days  of  September 
are  gone,  the  nights  are  sharp  with  frost,  and  oc- 
casionally the  ground  is  covered  with  snow,  but  he 
makes  light  of  all  discomfort  and  writes  from  Battle- 
ford,  under  date  Oct.  12,  1883,  in  the  following  buoyant 
strain  : 


DEAR  WIFE:  — 

"  I  have  just  called  at  the  post-office  and  find  that 
a  mail  goes  out  in  a  few  minutes,  and  hence  write  you 
a  note.  We  left  Prince  Albert  on  Tuesday  and  got  to 
Carl  ton  that  night.  Next  morning  the  ground  was  covered 
with  snow,  but  we  got  off  betimes  and  reached  the  Elbow 
(forty  miles)  after  dark.  Camped  beside  a  willow 
bush—  no  trees.  Cleared  the  snow  off  and  spread  my 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II  227 

oilcloth  and  made  a  bed  in  the  corner  of  our  tent.  We 
got  some  dry  willow  and  got  a  fire  made  and  had  a  good 
warm  supper.  Went  to  bed  and  slept  soundly.  Got  off 
the  next  morning  in  good  time,  and  were  going  through 
a  country  overrun  with  fire.  Found  it  hard  to  get  wood 
and  water.  Camped  beside  a  low  swail.  It  was  empty 
of  water,  but  we  got  grass  for  the  horses.  I  gathered  some 
snow  to  make  tea  (snow  nearly  all  gone),  and  got  a  few 
willow  bushes  to  make  fire.  Had  a  good  dinner  and 
started  off  again,  to  pass  over  a  rough  hilly  country 
with  a  few  creeks  running  into  the  Saskatchewan.  (You 
can  follow  our  course  by  the  line  of  railway  adopted  in 
McKenzie's  time  along  the  North  Saskatchewan.) 
Camped  at  night  after  going  about  thirty -five  miles,  and 
got  two  old  telegraph  poles  to  make  fire  of.  Yesterday, 
we  passed  over  a  rough  country,  but  it  was  well  watered 
and  had  plenty  of  timber.  We  got  here  last  night,  and 
I  paid  the  man  off  ($45  he  charged)  and  got  lodgings 
with  Mr.  McKay,  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  I  have 
been  trying  to  hunt  up  the  Presbyterians  here  and  have 
been  partially  successful.  I  think  we  must  send  a  man  in 
here  to  look  after  them. " 

He  has  been  only  a  few  hours  in  the  place  after  two 
months'  journey,  but  he  takes  no  time  for  rest  and  re- 
cuperation, but  at  once  sets  out  to  "hunt  up  Presby- 
terians," for  Presbyterians  he  must  have  at  all  costs, 
and  that  is  why  he  gets  them.  He  plans  to  extend  his 
trip  to  Edmonton,  nearly  300  miles  away.  Ever  since 
his  appointment  he  has  had  it  in  mind  to  visit  that  far 
outpost,  but  for  two  years,  to  his  great  regret  and  to  the 
great  disappointment  of  the  missionary  in  charge,  he  has 
been  forced  to  defer  his  trip.  Now  that  Edmonton  is 
only  300  miles  away,  the  weather  fine,  the  roads  excellent, 
and  he  himself  in  fine  fettle,  he  resolves  to  essay  the 
journey,  and  to  the  great  joy  of  the  missionary  at  that 


228       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

point,  after  a  week's  hard  drive  he  safely  arrives,  com- 
pleting a  trip  of  some  1,200  miles. 

His  visit  to  Edmonton  proved  a  great  stimulus  to  the 
missionary  and  the  little  congregation.  Two  days  he 
spent  organizing  the  finances  of  the  congregation,  visit- 
ing the  different  stations  in  connection  with  the  field, 
and  then  bidding  farewell  to  this  brave  missionary, 
A.  B.  Baird,  and  his  gallant  little  company,  he  takes 
his  homeward  journey,  leaving  both  missionary  and 
people  greatly  encouraged  and  much  fitter  for  their 
winter's  work. 

The  experiences  of  the  Superintendent  on  this  north 
trip  give  tone  and  colour  to  his  report  to  the  Assembly  of 
1884.  Remarkable  as  was  the  growth  of  the  previous 
year,  the  expansion  of  this  year  was  even  more  extra- 
ordinary. The  report  for  1882  showed  forty  new  fields, 
that  for  1883  showed  fifty-one  new  fields,  but  this  year 
the  Superintendent  is  able  to  report  the  opening  up 
of  seventy  new  fields.  Between  Winnipeg  and  Edmon- 
ton these  fields  lie  scattered,  with  great  empty  spaces 
between,  but  organization  has  been  effected,  often 
the  merest  skeletons  of  congregations,  it  is  true,  at 
these  seventy  points.  And  with  the  growth  of  settle- 
ment the  intervening  spaces  will  be  filled  up  and  the 
skeletons  be  rounded  out  into  full-grown,  vigorous  con- 
gregations. 

Through  the  eyes  of  the  Superintendent,  the  Assembly 
begins  to  get  visions  of  these  vast  prairie  reaches,  and 
of  their  possibilities  for  good  to  Canada  and  to  the 
Kingdom  of  God  therein,  and  is,  therefore,  the  more 
easily  persuaded  to  plan  largely  for  Western  work. 
It  is  no  wonder  that  the  Assembly,  reversing  the  re- 
port of  its  Home  Mission  Committee  and  in  response 
to  the  prayer  of  the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba,  agrees 
that  that  Presbytery  should  be  divided  into  three,  to 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II  229 

be  called  Winnipeg,  Rock  Lake  and  Brandon,  and  that 
these  Presbyteries  should  be  erected  into  the  first  Western 
Synod  under  the  name  of  the  Synod  of  Manitoba  and  the 
Northwest  Territories.  It  is  interesting  to  read  in  the 
minutes  of  that  Assembly  the  terms  in  which  are  de- 
scribed the  boundaries  of  the  Presbytery  at  Brandon, 
that  lying  farthest  to  the  West : 

"  Presbytery  of  Brandon. — The  Presbytery  of  Brandon 
shall  embrace  the  portions  of  the  Province  of  Manitoba 
not  included  in  the  preceding  Presbyteries,  and  the 
Northwest  Territories,  and  shall  include  the  following 
congregations  and  mission  stations,  and  such  others  as 
may  hereafter  be  erected  within  its  bounds. " 

The  list  of  fields  in  this  most  Western  Presbytery  is  also 
illuminating  and  is  quite  worthy  of  record  : 

1.  High  Bluff,  and  Associated  Stations 

2.  Portage  la  Prairie,  "  "  " 

3.  Gladstone,  "  "  " 

4.  Neepawa,  "  "  " 

5.  Minnedosa,  "  "  tl 

6.  Rapid  City,  "  "  " 

7.  Brandon,  "  "  " 

8.  Burnside,  "  "  " 

9.  McGregor,  «  "  " 

10.  Carberry  Petrel,  "  "  " 

11.  Chater,  "  "  " 

12.  Rosedale,  "  "  " 

13.  Milford,  "  "  " 

14.  Oak  Lake,  "  "  " 

15.  Virden,  "  "  " 

16.  Cypress  River,  "  "  " 

17.  Auburn,  "  "  " 

18.  Cadurcis  and  McTavish,  «  "  " 

19.  Rolling  River,  "  "  " 

20.  Souris,  "  "  " 

21.  Moosomin,  "  "  " 

22.  Strathclair,  "  "  " 

23.  Birtle,  "  "  " 


230       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

24.  Binscarth,  and  Associated  Stations 

25.  Shell  River,  "  "  " 

26.  Beulah,  "  "  " 

27.  Broadview,  "  "  " 

28.  Grenfell,  "  "  " 

29.  Indian  Head,  "  "  « 

30.  Fort  Qu' Appelle,  "  "  " 

31.  Touchwood  Hills,  "  "  " 

32.  Regina,  "  "  " 

33.  Moosejaw,  "  "  " 

34.  Medicine  Hat,  "  "  " 

35.  Calgary  and  Fort  McLeod, 

36.  Edmonton, 

37.  Battleford, 

38.  Prince  Albert, 

39.  Carrot  River, 

40.  Whitewood,  etc., 

41.  Oakwood,  etc., 

42.  Dumfries,  etc., 

43.  South  Moose  Mountain, 

44.  Mistawasis  Reserve, 

45.  Okanase, 

46.  Crowstand, 

47.  Sioux  Reserve. 

It  is  further  ordered  that  the  name  of  the  Superintend- 
ent shall  be  placed  on  the  roll  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Brandon,  and  that  his  relations-  to  that  Presbytery  are 
to  be  the  same  as  formerly  to  the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba. 

Before  the  Assembly  rises,  it  signalizes  its  approval  of 
the  Superintendent  of  Missions  and  its  appreciation  of 
the  work  he  is  doing  by  accepting  the  recommendation 
of  the  Home  Mission  Committee  to  increase  his  salary  to 
the  sum  of  $2,000,  this  being  the  figure  to  which  that  of 
the  Professors  of  Manitoba  College  had  recently  been 
raised. 

The  history  of  the  next  three  years  is  one  full  of  in- 
spiration and  romantic  interest.  From  year  to  year  the 
settlement  of  the  country  proceeds  with  greater  or  less 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II  231 

rapidity,  and  with  the  growth  of  settlement  there  marches 
the  expansion  of  mission  work.  Farther  and  ever  far- 
ther the  Superintendent  pushes  back  the  limits  of  his 
great  mission  field.  Week  after  week,  month  after 
month,  both  summer  and  winter,  when  he  is  not  engaged 
in  the  arduous  and  difficult  task  of  extracting  revenue 
from  willing  and  unwilling  members  of  the  Church  in  the 
East,  he  presses  his  tireless  journeys  over  the  prairies  by 
railroad  which  now  traverses  the  field  from  east  to  west, 
but  mostly  by  trail,  returning  from  each  journey  with 
some  names  to  add  to  the  rapidly  growing  roster  of  his 
mission  fields,  and  with  his  black  note-book  as  well  as 
his  heart  and  head  crammed  with  additional  facts  where- 
with to  quicken  the  enthusiasm  of  his  Church  and  to 
deepen  her  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  new  Empire  so 
rapidly  building  in  the  western  half  of  the  Dominion. 

In  the  General  Assembly  of  1885,  on  overture  from  six 
Ontario  Presbyteries  and  from  the  Presbytery  of  Brandon 
in  the  West,  the  first  suggestion  of  a  Summer  Session  in 
one  of  the  colleges  is  made.  This  overture  the  Superin- 
tendent strongly  supports.  The  proposal  is  remitted  to 
the  favourable  consideration  of  the  Presbyterian  College 
of  Halifax,  which  college,  however,  in  the  following  year 
declines  to  consider  the .  proposal  to  change  the  time  of 
its  theological  session  from  the  winter  to  the  summer 
months.  And  so  the  Superintendent  must  struggle  on, 
doing  what  he  can  to  man  his  fields,  gathering  such  re- 
cruits as  offer  from  the  Old  Land  and  from  the  United 
States. 

An  overture  from  the  Presbytery  of  Brandon  trans- 
mitted with  the  approval  of  the  Synod,  results  in  the 
erection  of  the  new  Presbytery  of  Regina.  The  decision 
of  Assembly  is  given  in  the  following  terms : 

*'  That  the  prayer  of  the  petition  of  Brandon  Presby- 
tery, as  transmitted  through  the  Synod  of  Manitoba  and 


232       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

the  Northwest  Territories,  be  granted,  and  a  new  Presby- 
tery erected ;  that  its  extreme  eastern  boundary  be  the 
western  provincial  boundary  line  of  the  Province  of 
Manitoba,  and  that  it  consist  of  the  following  congrega- 
tions and  Mission  stations  :  Alameda,  Battleford,  Broad- 
view, Calgary,  Carlisle,  Carrot  River,  Cathcart,  Cut  Arm 
Creek,  Dumfries,  Edmonton,  Fort  McLeod,  Fort  Qu' Ap- 
pelle,  Fort  Saskatchewan,  Green  Valley,  Grenfell,  Indian 
Head,  Jumping  Creek,  Long  Lake,  Medicine  Hat,  Mooso- 
min,  Moosejaw,  Pine  Creek,  Prince  Albert,  Qu'Appelle 
Station,  Regina,  Southworth,  Moose  Mountain,  Touch- 
wood Hills,  Whitewood,  Wolseley,  Yorkton,  Broadview 
Reserve,  Crowstand,  Mistawasis  Reserve  j  that  the  name 
of  the  Presbytery  be  Regina,  that  the  Rev.  P.  S.  Living- 
stone be  the  first  Moderator,  and  that  it  hold  its  first 
meeting  at  Regina,  in  the  church  there,  on  the  15th  day 
of  July,  1885,  at  eleven  o'clock." 

The  newly  erected  Synod  of  Manitoba  and  the  North- 
west Territories  in  1885,  at  its  second  meeting,  honours 
the  Superintendent  and  itself  by  choosing  him  to  be  its 
first  elected  Moderator.  It  is  the  year  of  the  second  re- 
bellion. The  following  letter  to  his  wife  is  interesting 
as  furnishing  contemporary  opinion  upon  that  unhappy 
affair : 

''Mr.  Pitblado,  I  think  I  told  you  in  my  last,  I  went 
with  the  Halifax  Battalion.  Mr.  Gordon  went  off  to  the 
front  with  the  Ninetieth.  I  presume  he  is  with  the  troops 
before  now  on  the  South  Saskatchewan.  There  has  been 
no  further  conflict  there  since  the  affair  of  Fish  Creek. 
Middleton  has  been  inactive,  why,  I  do  not  know.  Some 
say  that  he  had  neither  the  men  nor  the  ammunition  he 
required.  If  not,  he  was  much  to  blame.  He  had  plenty 
of  time,  and  why  he  does  not  push  on  I  do  not  know. 
Every  day  he  delays  is  giving  the  Indians  time  to  organ- 
ize and  rise,  because  they  think  Middletou  has  been 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II  233 

checked  if  not  defeated.  To  us  the  whole  affair  seems  a 
puzzle.  There  has  been  mismanagement  from  the  outset. 
I  wonder  when  it  will  end.  To-day  tidings  came  from 
Battleford  that  Colonel  Otter  had  an  engagement  with  the 
Indians  on  Poundinaker's  Reserve.  Eight  of  our  troops 
were  reported  killed  and  double  that  number  wounded. 
Had  there  been  any  despatch  in  sending  troops  up  there 
first,  an  outbreak  at  Battleford  might  have  been  averted. 
It  is  becoming  clear  that  the  men  who  are  managing  this 
whole  affair  are  not  equal  to  the  task.  Herchmer  and 
Otter  will  put  Poundmaker  and  his  band  down,  but  I 
fear  more  blood  will  be  spilt  yet,  and  blood  spilt  now 
may  mean  more  hereafter.  The  quelling  of  the  rebellion 
will  not  restore  the  confidence  nor  secure  the  feeling  of 
safety  that  existed  before.  You  speak  of  this  growing  to 
larger  proportions  than  I  thought.  Consul  Taylor  told  me 
last  week  that  his  opinions  were  exactly  mine — and  he 
should  be  a  good  judge — and  that  if  the  Government  had 
taken  hold  of  the  matter  promptly,  the  end  would  have 
been  reached  long  ago.  Mr.  Gordon  and  a  host  of  the 
best  men  here  are  holding  the  same  views.  A  fire  may 
be  a  small  affair  and  easily  put  out,  but  let  it  alone  with 
a  lot  of  inflammable  matter  around,  and  it  may  take  a 
good  deal  to  cope  with  it.  So  it  was  here.  The  dilatori- 
ness  of  the  Government  encouraged  Indian  and  half- 
breed  to  rebel  or  continue  in  his  rebellion." 

By  this  rebellion  the  attention  of  the  whole  country  is 
centred  upon  the  Indian  and  half-breed  population  of  the 
West ;  there  is  a  quickened  sense  of  responsibility  to 
these  people,  and,  in  consequence,  the  Synod  is  aggres- 
sively Foreign  Mission  in  its  spirit  and  legislation.  But 
in  spite  of  this,  and  perhaps,  indeed,  because  of  this,  the 
Superintendent  on  leaving  the  Moderator's  chair  to  pre- 
sent his  report,  rouses  the  Synod  to  a  point  of  enthusiasm 
rarely  surpassed  in  all  its  subsequent  history. 


234       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Right  there  on  the  Western  field  and  speaking  to  West- 
ern men  from  whose  eyes  experience  had  torn  the  glamour 
which  distance  and  unfaniiliarity  often  lend  to  stern 
realism,  he  told  them  of  their  own  work,  showed  it  to 
them  in  its  true  perspective,  related  each  little  patch  of 
the  field  to  the  great  whole,  threw  upon  it  the  golden 
colours  of  the  glowing  future  till  as  they  looked  and  lis- 
tened, they  were  ready  to  toil  and  suffer  without  murmur 
or  hope  of  reprieve  for  the  sheer  glory  of  the  work  itself, 
and  for  His  glory  whom  they  had  pledged  themselves  to 
serve.  It  was  a  triumph,  indeed.  No  man  present  at 
that  Synod  meeting  of  1885  will  ever  forget  that  speech 
and  its  effect  upon  the  toil-worn,  sun-baked  group  of 
missionaries  who  had  travelled  from  ten  to  well-nigh  ten 
hundred  miles  to  be  present. 

In  the  autumn  of  that  year  the  Superintendent  prose- 
cutes two  extended  tours,  one  through  Southwestern 
Manitoba  and  far  south  and  west  beyond  the  boundaries 
of  the  Province,  the  other  through  the  ranching  country 
of  Southern  Alberta.  During  the  first  tour  he  writes  to 
his  wife  the  following  characteristic  letter,  under  date, 
Virden,  August  13,  1885  : 

"  MY  DEAR  WIFE  :  — 

"  Yesterday  I  returned  from  the  Moose  Mountain 
country  where  I  had  gone  to  open  two  churches.  One  of 
them  was  not  finished  and  was  not  opened,  the  other  was 
finished  and  opened.  I  drove  on  Saturday  sixty-five 
miles,  and  on  Sabbath  morning  to  the  finished  church, 
twenty  miles.  I  rarely  saw  a  finer  stretch  of  country  than 
lies  south  of  the  Moose  Mountain.  We  have  a  healthy 
cause  there,  although  it  is  not  strong.  Coming  back,  I 
stopped  at  Green  Valley  and  attended  to  work  there. 
Found  that  some  of  the  people  had  suffered  much  through 
hail.  Some  sixteen  families  of  crofters  lost  a  good  deal. 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II  235 

I  did  what  I  could  to  encourage  and  cheer  them.  We 
are  thinking  of  building  two  churches  among  these 
people.  The  missionary  in  Green  Valley  is  a  green  Glas- 
gow man.  I  wish  Jamesy  was  out  here  to  teach  him  how 
to  harness  and  drive  a  horse,  and  how  to  ride  one.  He 
got  an  Indian  pony  and  he  (the  pony)  completely  mas- 
tered him  (the  missionary)  so  that  he  (the  missionary) 
had  to  sell  him  (the  pony).  I  am  almost  afraid  the 
second  one  will  do  the  same.  He  has  rather  contracted 
ideas,  too,  about  work,  and  so  I  have  had  to  give  him  a 
few  hints.  He  thought  a  minister's  duty  was  to  preach 
the  Gospel  and  not  to  be  bothered  with  horses.  I  had  to 
tell  him  that  if  he  could  not  reach  the  people  to  whom  he 
preached  without  a  horse,  then  he  must  learn  to  drive 
and  ride — in  fact,  that  if  these  were  his  ideas  he  had  no 
business  in  the  Northwest — that  I  would  far  rather  have 
a  man  know  less  Latin  and  more  Horse,  and  that  without 
some  knowledge  of  horses  a  man  was  useless.  The  man 
looked  amazed,  but  took  all  well  and  is  going  to  work. 

"  Had  the  misfortune  to  break  my  buggy  spring  and' 
mended  it  on  Sunday  morning  on  the  road  with  a  halter 
strap. 

"Moosomin  was  reached  yesterday  and  I  found  a  sale 
of  cavalry  horses  going  on.  It  was  interesting  to  see  a 
large  number  of  scouts  in  the  late  campaign  buying  their 
old  horses  and  taking  them  home.  But  I  am  going  away 
across  the  river  to  a  meeting.  I  got  here  this  morning 
and  have  a  meeting  to-night.  Elders  are  to  be  ordained 
and  inducted. " 

From  Fort  McLeod  he  writes  on  his  second  tour  a  let- 
ter, the  facts  contained  in  which  he  afterwards  made 
public.  The  publication  of  these  facts  awakened  a  feel- 
ing of  horror  and  shame  throughout  the  whole  country 
and  determined  the  Church  to  establish  at  McLeod  at  all 
costs  a  permanent  mission.  For  this  mission  an  elder  in 


236       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

the  city  of  Ottawa,  burning  with  indignant  grief  and 
shame  over  the  horrible  revelations,  offered  $600  for  two 
years. 

The  following  year  the  Assembly  adds  a  further  name 
to  the  list  of  its  Presbyteries,  in  the  erection  of  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Columbia,  which  is  made  to  include  all  congre- 
gations and  mission  stations  in  British  Columbia,  and 
which  is  connected  with  the  Synod  of  Manitoba  and  the 
Northwest  Territories,  though  it  does  not  as  yet  come  un- 
der the  Superintendent's  jurisdiction. 

The  report  presented  by  the  Superintendent  in  1886 
showed  that  in  spite  of  the  rebellion  of  the  year  before 
and  of  the  continued  financial  depression,  there  had  been 
steady  progress  made  during  the  year.  The  number  of 
stations  had  gone  up  from  318  to  351,  a  gain  of  thirty- 
three  ;  the  number  of  communicants  from  4,457  to  4,769, 
a  gain  of  312.  In  regard  to  this  matter  of  communicants, 
the  Superintendent  sounds  this  warning  note  : 

"It  will  be  noticed  that  there  are  not  as  many  com- 
municants as  families.  Of  the  young  men  coming  to  us, 
not  fifteen  per  cent,  ever  made  a  profession  of  faith. 
There  is  a  source  of  danger  here  should  there  be  neglect." 

There  is,  however,  a  very  cheering  fact  to  record  in  re- 
gard to  the  supply  of  fields.  The  Church  is  evidently  be- 
ginning to  take  heed,  for  the  report  says  : 

"  During  the  past  summer  not  a  settlement  of  any  size 
in  the  country  was  left  unprovided  with  ordinances.  Ef- 
forts were  also  put  forth  to  furnish  supply  during  the 
winter,  and  with  a  good  deal  of  success.  There  was  not 
a  point  along  the  lines  of  railway  which  was  left  unsup- 
plied,  and  districts  removed  from  the  railway  had  at  least 
partial  supply.  When  no  other  missionaries  were  avail- 
able, catechists  were  secured  for  six  months,  and  students 
of  Manitoba  College  were  employed  during  the  Christmas 
holidays." 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II  237 

The  Superintendent  seizes  the  opportunity  furnished 
by  the  taking  of  the  Dominion  Census  to  indulge  his 
penchant  for  statistics,  and  presents  to  the  Assembly  certain 
valuable  and  inspiring  information,  with  his  reflections 
thereupon.  Among  other  facts  he  notices  that  out  of  a 
total  population  for  the  Territories  of  48,362,  there  are 
23,344  whites,  and  of  this  number  7,712  are  Presbyterians. 
He  thus  estimates  that  the  Presbyterians  form  over  thirty 
per  cent,  of  the  population  of  these  Territories,  as  they 
form  over  forty  per  cent,  of  the  population  in  Manitoba. 
This  fact  he  uses  to  lay  heavier  the  weight  of  responsi- 
bility for  the  people  of  the  "West,  upon  the  conscience  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Towards  the  end  of  that  year,  the  Superintendent 
makes  a  swift  dash  into  British  Columbia,  stirring  up  the 
people  wherever  he  can  pause,  to  organization  and  self- 
support.  From  Donald,  the  most  ambitious  and  most 
ungodly  town  in  British  Columbia  at  that  time,  he 
writes  : 

u  I  spent  the  day  at  Donald  trying  to  do  two  things — 
to  get  a  church  building  under  way,  and  to  get  support 
for  a  minister.  I  got  $600  promised  for  the  minister  and 
got  arrangements  made  to  have  the  church  built,  $700 
being  subscribed  in  cash  and  14,000  feet  of  lumber." 

The  General  Assembly  for  1887  met  in  the  city  of 
Winnipeg,  a  significant  testimony  to  the  importance 
which  the  Western  metropolis  had  assumed  in  the  opinion 
of  the  Church.  It  is  a  Home  Mission  Assembly,  and  the 
minds  of  the  fathers  and  brethren  are  largely  occupied 
with  the  expansion  of  their  "Western  heritage.  In  the 
minutes  of  that  Assembly  is  found  the  following  very 
significant  paragraph  : 

"On  motion  of  Mr.  James  Robertson,  seconded  by  Mr. 
James  Herdman,  the  following  resolution  was  adopted, — 
That  the  prayer  of  the  Presbytery  of  Regina  be  granted, 


238       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

that  the  General  Assembly  hereby  erects  a  new  Presby- 
tery to  be  bounded  as  follows : ' '  And  then  the  resolu- 
tion proceeds  to  describe  the  boundaries  of  the  new  Pres- 
bytery by  lines  truly  majestic  in  their  sweep:  "The 
eastern  limit  of  said  Presbytery  shall  be  the  one  hundred 
and  ninth  degree  of  longitude  j  the  southern  limit  the 
forty-ninth  parallel  of  latitude ;  the  western  limit,  a  line 
passing  north  and  south  through  the  western  crossing  of 
the  Columbia  River  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  ;  the 
northern  limit,  the  Arctic  Sea." 

In  what  magnificent  terms  these  men  conceived  their 
work  !  Here  are  the  names  of  the  fields  constituting  this, 
the  greatest  Presbytery  the  world  has  ever  seen  :  Indian 
Head,  Lethbridge,  Fort  McLeod,  High  River,  Calgary, 
Edmonton,  Fort  Saskatchewan,  Red  Deer,  Cochraue, 
Banff,  Anthracite,  Donald,  and  Revelstoke.  And  here 
are  the  names  of  the  men  to  whose  care  this  stupendous 
Presbytery  is  entrusted  :  Messrs.  James  Herald,  Charles 
McKillop,  Richard  Campbell  Tibb,  Angus  Robertson, 
James  C.  Herdman,  Andrew  Browning  Baird,  Alexander 
H.  Cameron.  By  the  appointment  of  Assembly  the  first 
meeting  of  this  great  Presbytery  is  to  be  held  on  the  third 
Tuesday  of  July,  1887,  and  of  this  Presbytery  the  first 
Moderator  is  to  be  Angus  Robertson,  well  known  and 
greatly  loved  by  all  who  toiled  with  him  as  a  Western 
missionary  during  his  all  too  brief  life. 

By  this  Assembly,  also,  the  eastern  boundaries  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Winnipeg  are  extended  to  White  River,  a 
point  248  miles  east  of  Port  Arthur,  the  former  boundary. 

To  this  Assembly  the  Superintendent  presents  a  brief 
report  of  the  work  accomplished  during  the  five  years 
that  have  just  passed.  It  is  characteristic  of  the  report 
that  there  is  absolutely  no  hint  or  suggestion  of  the  toils 
and  tribulations,  of  the  perils  and  privations,  that  he  has 
endured,  to  whom,  under  God,  the  great  results  achieved 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II  239 

have  been  largely  due.  It  is  a  record  of  truly  magnifi- 
cent progress,  and  of  startling  achievement.  When  he 
came  to  his  work  as  Superintendent,  he  found  116  Mis- 
sion stations  scattered  throughout  Manitoba  and  the 
neighbouring  parts  of  the  Territories.  His  first  report 
gave  the  names  of  129  fields  lying,  for  the  most  part, 
within  a  radius  of  about  200  miles  of  Winnipeg,  isolated 
from  each  other,  unknown  to  the  Church,  uncared  for  in 
any  adequate  manner,  financially  hopeless,  and  provided 
only  with  supply  of  the  most  spasmodic  kind.  Beyond 
these  129  fields  lay  new  settlements  without  missionary  or 
Church  services,  and  over  the  whole  West  were  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  undiscovered  Presbyterians. 

In  five  years  what  a  change  !  Instead  of  129  stations 
there  are  reported  389,  a  growth  of  260,  fifty-two  for 
every  year,  one  for  every  week  of  that  period,  and  almost 
every  station  the  result  of  a  personal  visit  of  the  Superin- 
tendent, and  in  almost  every  case  of  his  personal  organi- 
zation. His  first  report  showed  a  communicant  roll  of 
1,355  for  all  the  West ;  the  report  for  1887  showed  5,623. 
When  he  came  to  his  field  the  Presbytery  of  Manitoba 
had  knowledge  of  only  971  families.  In  a  single  year  he 
discovered  1,000  more  and  placed  these  formerly  un- 
known and  isolated  families  into  Church  homes,  and  dur- 
ing the  five  years  he  discovered  and  set  in  Church  rela- 
tion over  3,000  Presbyterian  families.  When  he  took 
into  his  hands  the  reins  of  superintendency,  he  found  in 
all  the  West  some  fifteen  churches.  Before  five  years 
were  over  there  were  nearly  100,  and  these  the  result 
largely  of  the  help  given  by  the  Church  and  Manse  Build- 
ing Fund,  whose  creator  he  practically  was. 

In  Eastern  Canada  the  results  achieved  were  no  less  ex- 
traordinary. In  1882,  the  Western  Missions  were  practi- 
cally unknown  to  the  Church  in  the  East.  The  Home 
Mission  cause  held  an  insignificant  place  in  the  mind  of 


THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

the  Church,  the  appeal  for  funds  brought  very  inadequate 
response.  But  before  five  years  had  passed,  by  his  re- 
ports, his  speeches,  his  sermons  and  addresses,  the 
Superintendent  had  made  the  West  visible,  and  brought  it 
near.  More  than  that,  becoming  visible  and  real  to  the 
Church  in  Eastern  Canada,  the  West  and  its  marvellous 
mission  work  acted  as  a  magnet  for  the  unifying  of  the 
different  parts  and  varied  elements  of  the  Church  in  the 
East.  Home  Missions  began  to  bulk  large  and  the  Church 
awakened  to  a  new  self-consciousness  by  reason  of  this 
great  mission  enterprise  she  was  carrying  on  in  Western 
Canada.  In  short,  by  the  work  of  these  five  years  the 
straggling,  scattered  missions  in  Western  Canada,  the 
disintegrated  and  isolated  fragments  of  a  Church,  un- 
known to  each  other  and  to  the  Church  as  a  whole,  were 
organized  into  one  body  whose  members  fitly  framed  and 
compactly  joined  together  by  that  which  every  joint  sup- 
plied, began  to  grow  with  a  common  life  into  a  Church 
pulsing  with  vigour,  conscious  of  power,  and  alert  for  the 
mighty  enterprise  laid  to  her  hand  by  her  Lord. 

The  Assembly  of  1887,  meeting  for  the  first  time  in  the 
capital  of  Western  Canada,  received  many  courtesies 
from  various  public  and  civic  bodies,  but  none  was  more 
appreciated  than  the  invitation  of  the  Canadian  Pacific 
Railway  to  visit  the  Pacific  Coast ;  and  few  greater 
pleasures  ever  came  to  the  Superintendent  during  his  life 
than  that  he  experienced  in  conducting  the  Commissioners 
across  the  reaches  of  his  mission  field.  It  was  from  first 
to  last  an  experience  of  wonder  and  delight  to  the  whole 
party,  and  of  pride  and  joy  to  the  Superintendent  who 
organized  and  conducted  it.  One  incident  in  the  journey 
across  the  plains  is  worth  recording.  It  is  given  in  the 
words  of  an  eye-witness : 

"I  shall  never  forget  one  scene.  While  on  the  way 
westward,  we  arrived  at  some  point  where  the  train  was 


FIVE  GREAT  YEARS— II  241 

to  stop  for  some  minutes,  for  water,  I  think.  There  was 
nothing  but  a  station  in  sight.  Being  towards  dusk,  he 
proposed  that  the  whole  party  should  gather  on  the 
prairie  during  the  stop,  for  worship.  It  was  heartily  re- 
sponded to,  and  the  words  of  a  familiar  Psalm  floated  on 
the  breeze  from  a  hundred  voices,  followed  by  a  brief 
prayer.  It  was  like  a  consecration  of  the  boundless  open 
space  to  the  service  of  Christ,  and  of  ourselves,  as  repre- 
senting the  Church,  to  its  evangelization,  when  it  should 
be  occupied,  as  he  believed  it  soon  would. " 

His  faith  in  the  West  never  faltered,  and  every  suc- 
ceeding year  only  served  to  justify  it.  His  work  through 
the  years  that  followed  was  in  detail  largely  a  repetition 
of  that  of  the  five  years  just  passed.  Failure  never 
checked  him,  success  never  sated  him,  but  day  by  day 
and  week  by  week  until  the  very  last,  he  followed  the 
gleaming  steel  or  the  black  line  of  the  trail  across  the 
prairies  and  through  the  mountains,  eager,  insatiable, 
undaunted. 


XXV 

FRICTION 


r~  ""^HE  Presbyterian  Church  is  a  democratic  insti- 
tution and  historically  and  sensitively  loyal  to 

JL  two  great  principles  in  polity,  one  the  su- 
premacy of  Presbytery,  the  other  the  parity  of  Presby- 
ters. The  first  principle  guards  against  the  encroach- 
ment on  the  part  of  any  other  Church  court  or  of  any 
Church  dignitary  upon  the  absolute  authority  of  Presby- 
tery, a  body  which  owes  its  existence  ultimately  to  the 
will  of  the  people.  No  right  is  more  jealously  guarded 
by  Presbytery  than  that  of  absolute  control  over  all  con- 
gregations and  ministers  within  its  jurisdiction. 

The  principle  of  parity  of  Presbyters  opposes  itself  to 
every  assumption  of  authority  on  the  part  of  any  indi- 
vidual, no  matter  how  richly  endowed  in  mental  and 
spiritual  gifts  or  how  vested  with  authority  by  virtue  of 
office.  Before  the  Presbytery  all  Presbyters  stand  equal, 
and  any  authority  held  or  exercised  is  so  held  and  exer- 
cised only  by  delegation  of  Presbytery. 

It  was  inevitable  that  in  the  exercise  of  the  functions  of 
his  office  the  Superintendent  should  come  near  to  being 
wrecked  upon  these  constitutional  rocks.  It  was  ominous 
of  future  trouble  that  immediately  after  the  appointment 
of  the  Superintendent,  and  when  the  regulations  govern- 
ing his  office  were  being  discussed,  the  Eev.  H.  McKellar, 
a  worthy  and  conscientious  member  of  the  Manitoba 
Presbytery,  should  feel  it  his  duty  to  oppose  with  might 
and  main  the  use  of  the  word  "oversight"  in  defining 
the  Superintendent's  duties,  and  should  feel  called  upon 

242 


FKICTION  243 

to  table  his  dissent  against  the  finding  of  the  General 
Assembly  in  this  regard.  To  his  mind  "  oversight "  was 
an  un- Presbyterian  infringement  upon  the  rights  of 
Presbytery  and  a  denial  of  the  doctrine  of  the  parity  of 
Presbyters.  But  the  word  went  into  the  regulations  and 
the  thing  into  the  duty  of  the  new  Superintendent,  and 
with  a  vengeance.  For  not  unfrequently  the  Presbytery 
or  the  Home  Mission  Committee  would  find  itself  ignored 
and  would  be  asked,  with  what  grace  it  could  muster,  to 
approve,  homologate,  or  condone  some  action  of  its  Super- 
intendent as  in  the  following  instance  : 

In  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  office,  the  Super- 
intendent happened  upon  a  congregation  which  had 
reached  such  a  stage  of  development  as  seemed  to  de- 
mand for  its  highest  good  the  settlement  of  a  pastor. 
The  procedure  in  such  cases  is  clearly  defined  in  the  Book 
of  Forms.  The  Presbytery  is  consulted  by  the  congrega- 
tion, leave  is  obtained  to  moderate  in  a  call,  the  congre- 
gational organization  and  standing  are  thereupon  carefully 
examined,  the  congregation  duly  summoned  by  edict  of 
Presbytery  to  exercise  its  right  of  call,  and  having  exer- 
cised this  right  the  Presbytery  proceeds,  if  satisfied  that 
the  interests  of  all  have  been  guarded,  to  sustain  the  call 
and  effect  a  settlement.  In  this  particular  case  the  Su- 
perintendent finds  the  congregation  clearly  in  need  of  a 
pastor,  but  absolutely  without  organization,  there  being 
not  even  a  Communion  Eoll.  The  presence  of  a  pastor 
would  greatly  strengthen  the  cause  not  only  in  that  con- 
gregation, but  in  the  whole  community.  Moreover,  the 
congregation  has  fixed  its  affection — most  happy  circum- 
stance—upon a  certain  minister  who,  it  is  believed,  recip- 
rocates this  feeling.  What  is  to  be  done  ?  The  proper 
and  ordinary  course  is  well  known  to  the  Superintendent, 
but  there  are  other  considerations.  The  Presbytery  will 
.not  meet  for  weeks,  perhaps  months  f  the  calling  of  n 


244       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

special  meeting  is  a  serious  matter  involving  expenditure 
of  money  and  time  on  the  part  of  brethren  who  have 
little  of  either  to  spend.  Why  put  the  brethren  to  this 
expenditure?  Why,  indeed,  when  the  Superintendent 
can  do  all  that  is  necessary  himself,  and  when  the  Pres- 
bytery will  doubtless  approve,  homologate  or  condone,  if 
need  be,  at  its  first  meeting,  what  he  does  1  The  Super- 
intendent assumes  Presbyterial  powers,  issues  the  edict, 
summons  the  congregation,  grants  leave  to  moderate  in  a 
call,  has  the  call  issued  forthwith,  sustained,  accepted, 
the  minister  duly  settled  and  the  whole  business  reported 
to  Presbytery  at  its  first  meeting,  with  the  suggestion 
that  the  proper  and  only  course  now  open  to  that  court  is 
to  approve,  homologate  or  condone  if  need  be.  And 
this,  indeed,  the  Presbytery  perforce  and  very  sensibly 
proceeds  to  do  and  then  sits  back  to  digest  its  surprise, 
horror  or  indignation,  according  to  the  temper  or  eccle- 
siastical training  of  each  Presbyter  concerned. 

To  most  of  the  brethren  the  Superintendent's  course 
appears  to  be  the  only  one  open  to  a  man  of  earnest  pur- 
pose and  of  common  sense,  and  so  the  whole  matter  is 
accepted  with  a  smile.  But  it  would  be  strange,  indeed, 
if  some  worthy  brother  were  not  found  to  whom  the 
whole  procedure  appeared  not  only  entirely  un-Presby- 
terian,  but  also  little  short  of  sacrilege.  The  Superin- 
tendent, however,  neither  unduly  affected  by  the  depre- 
catory smile  of  approval  or  the  upraised  brow  of  horror, 
goes  calmly  on  his  way  to  do  it  again,  if  the  exigencies  of 
the  work  should  demand. 

But  there  were  those  in  whose  breasts  this  rough  shod 
trampling  upon  the  rights  of  Presbytery  and  of  Presbyters 
rankled  and  who  were  determined  that  this  should  end. 
Hence,  once  and  again  the  Superintendent  is  arraigned 
before  the  Home  Mission  Committee  and  Presbytery  only 
to  make  his  defence  with  smiling  urbanity,  or  with  hot 


FRICTION  245 

indignation,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  criticism, 
to  the  effect  that  at  all  costs  the  work  must  be  done, 
with  Presbytery  or  without  Presbytery,  as  the  case  may 
be,  and  then  depart  to  his  work  unrepentant,  though 
promising  to  exercise  all  care  in  the  future,  but  leaving 
in  the  minds  of  his  fellow- Presbyters  no  assured  confi- 
dence that  such  care  will  result  in  any  marked  change 
of  conduct.  With  most  of  his  brethren  forgiveness  was 
easy,  when  from  his  long-drawn  and  arduous  tours  the 
Superintendent  came  back  to  them  with  his  marvellous 
reports  that  told  only  of  the  things  accomplished,  and 
made  light  of  the  toils  endured.  There  were  some,  how- 
ever, who  allowed  themselves  to  import  such  bitterness 
into  their  criticisms  of  the  Superintendent  and  his 
methods  in  these  early  years,  as  would  suggest  that  they 
were  not  wholly  free  from  personal  animus.  The  follow- 
ing anonymous  letter  which  appeared  in  the  Toronto 
Mail  would  seem  to  be  the  outcome  of  such  animus. 
The  letter  has  value  now,  as  showing  the  atmosphere  in 
which  the  Superintendent  did  his  work,  and  the  serious- 
ness of  the  hostility  he  now  and  then  encountered.  The 
letter  is  a  curious  survival  of  a  spirit  long  since  dead  and 
buried,  and  is  as  follows  : 

"  Another  matter  that  demands  immediate  attention 
is  the  abolition  of  that  nondescript  office  of  Superintend- 
ent now  paraded  in  Winnipeg.  For  pity  sake  if  we  are 
to  have  a  bishop  let  him  be  a  man  of  education  and 
culture,  of  enlarged  mind  and  entire  devotedness  to  his 
work,  and  not  a  man  of  very  little  education,  of  wretched 
pulpit  ability,  of  abnormal  sectarian  bias,  of  little  judi- 
ciousness and  of  less  sense,  who  fell  into  this  position 
which  had  been  humanely  provided  for  him  before  the 
fall,  when  he  was  kicked  out  of  the  upper  windows  of 
Knox  Church  of  Winnipeg,  to  make  room  for  a  better 
man  ;  who,  uubishoplike,  lives  apart  from  his  family 


24:6       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

with  his  wife's  friends,  while  he  boards  like  a  boss- 
walker  at  Winnipeg's  Queens,  which  grand  hotel  is 
the  land  bourse  of  the  Northwest  where  speculators 
from  everywhere  congregate  and  gamble  in  '  Manitoba 
dirt.'  If  there  must  be  such  an  office,  let  it  be  filled  by 
a  pious  and  laborious  minister  of  the  Gospel  and  not  by 
a  moneyed  land-grabber  who  deceived  the  Church  by 
his  assumption  of  zeal  and  his  long-winded,  threadbare, 
harangues  on  the  greatness  and  fertility  of  that  country. 
Two  thousand  dollars  a  year  and  all  his  travelling  ex- 
penses to  and  from  the  Northwest  several  times  in  the 
year  should  be  saved  to  be  applied  in  Supplementing  four 
or  five  congregations  in  that  country.  How  such  men 
as  the  Revs.  Gordon  and  Pitblado  of  Winnipeg  can  con- 
sent to  continue  such  a  farce,  is  more  than  I  can  under- 
stand. Of  this  I  am  sure,  for  I  have  heard  it,  that  there 
is  a  wide-spread  dissatisfaction  throughout  all  that  country 
at  the  career  of  the  present  incumbent  of  the  superintend  - 
ency  who  is  only  fit  and  infinitely  fitter  to  i  run  '  a  farm 
than  to  '  oversee '  what  in  reality  amounts  in  some  de- 
gree to  a  bishopric. 

"  I  call  upon  the  enlightened  Moderator  of  the  General 
Assembly  to  stand  up  and  utter  his  undisguised  Scottish 
sentiment  about  this  Superintendent  matter.  I  call  upon 
the  able  and  pious  ministers  of  Winnipeg  to  come  to  the 
fore  and  aid  their  people  in  that  great  prairie  land  by 
having  immediate  and  liberal  measures  devised  in  their 
behalf.  I  call  upon  the  members  of  the  Home  Mission 
Committee  to  drop  at  least  a  score  of  our  moribund  East- 
Oxford-like  stations  in  Ontario  and  apply  the  money  thus 
wasted  in  assisting  (if  only  for  two  or  three  years)  our 
Presbyterian  people  and  their  families  out  in  the  North- 
west. And  if  in  their  wisdom  this  queer  Superintend- 
ency  be  perpetuated  or  even  upheld  but  one  year  more, 
for  conscience  sake  appoint  a  man  to  it  who  will,  at  least 


FRICTION 

to  some  little  extent,  resemble  Chaucer's  l  Poor  Parson1 
supposed  to  refer  to  Wyclif  : 

"  «  Wide  was  his  parish  and  houses  far  asunder; 
But  he  ne  left  not  for  ne  rain,  ne  thunder  ; 
In  sickness  and  in  mischief  to  visile 
The  forest  in  his  parish  moche  and  light 
Upon  his  fete  and  in  his  hand  a  staff." 

—  Prologue  to  Canterbury  Tales. 


"  '  That  man  is  mistaken  who  thinks  to  prevail  upon 
the  world  by  conforming  himself  to  its  fashions  and 
manners'  (Quesnel).  I  would  humbly  add  thereto 
<  speculations  >  in  Northwestern  lands  by  so-called 
Superintendents.  { 

"  Yours,  etc., 
"  March  21,  1883.  A  BLUE  PRESBYTERIAN." 

With  this  letter,  however,  very  few  if  any  of  those 
most  severely  critical  of  the  Superintendent  and  his 
methods  would  be  found  to  sympathize.  The  chief  effect 
of  its  publication  was  to  elicit  a  storm  of  indignant  pro- 
test against  such  a  venomous  attack.  The  following 
letter  would  fairly  represent  this  general  feeling  of  in- 
dignation : 

"  A  letter  appeared  in  your  issue  of  the  23d  inst.  on 
the  condition  of  the  Church  in  the  Northwest,  to  which 
as  a  member  of  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg,  I  beg  space  fo~ 
a  few  words  in  reply. 

"I  shall  not  trouble  you  with  any  comment  upon  the 
paragraph  referring  to  the  'fact,'  which  is  not  a  fact, 
that  there  is  not  a  settled  Presbyterian  minister  on  the 
C.  P.  R,  west  of  Portage  la  Prairie.  As  I  fail  to  see 
what  connection  an  i  old  cranky  congregation  '  in  East 
Oxford  has  with  the  state  of  the  Church  in  the  Northwest, 


248       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

I  need  notice  it  no  further  than  to  call  attention  to  the 
animus  of  the  writer  who,   if  I  ani  not  mistaken,  is  a 

*  tramp  of  a  minister '  who  makes  the  state  of  the  Church 
(not  that  he  cares  for  the  Church)  the  pretext  for  a  vile 
attack  upon  the  Superintendent  of  Missions.     Any  one 
who  has  the  privilege  of  knowing  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robert- 
son, the  Superintendent  of  Missions,  intimately,  does  not 
need  to  be  told  that  the  statements  respecting  him  are 
either  utterly  false  or  the  cruellest  misrepresentation  and 
give  expression  to  the  bitterest  malice.     Far  from  being 

*  kicked  out  of  the  upper  windows  of  Knox  Church/ 
Mr.  Robertson  was  never  more  beloved  by  his  congrega- 
tion than  he  was  when,  at  the  command  of  the  General 
Assembly,  the  pastoral  tie  was  severed. 

"  In  proof  of  this,  were  it  necessary,  I  might  refer  to 
the  minutes  of  the  Session  of  the  congregation,  and  if 
i  A  Blue  Presbyterian '  wishes  to  know  how  Mr.  Robert- 
son is  still  lovingly  regarded  by  his  late  congregation, 
let  him  come  and  witness  the  affectionate  greeting  he 
always  receives.  As  to  Mr.  Robertson's  education,  there 
is  abundant  evidence  in  the  letter  of  l  A  Blue  Presby- 
terian7 that  he  is  not  competent  to  judge.  As  to  his 
pulpit  ability,  if  I  may  be  permitted  to  use  a  sporting 
phrase,  I  would  say  one  hundred  to  one  Mr.  Robertson  as 
against  '  A  Blue  Presbyterian.'  As  to  his  sectarian  bias, 
it  must  be  'abnormal,'  for  Mr.  Robertson  gained  and  re- 
tains the  respect  and  good-will  of  all  sects.  As  to  his 
'little  judiciousness'  and  'less  sense,'  suffice  it  to  say 
that  hitherto  Mr.  Robertson  has  enjoyed  the  confidence 
of  the  Church. 

"Extreme  personal  dislike  of  Mr.  Robertson,  coupled 
with  a  dog-in-the-manger  spirit,  pervades  every  line  of 
*A  Blue  Presbyterian's' letter.  Can  it  be  true  that  in 
his  extensive  travels  in  '  that  vast  country '  he  was  in  the 
position  of  the  dove  which  left  the  ark,  and  that  all  this 


FRICTION  249 

overflow  of  bile  is  because  the  Superintendent  did  not 
follow  the  example  of  Noah  and  take  him  in  ? 
" Yours,  etc., 

"  A  MEMBER  OF  KNOX  CHUECH. 
"  Winnipeg,  March  31,  1883." 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robertson,  the  first  letter  brought 
the  greatest  pain,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  following  letter, 
of  date  March  30th,  1883  : 

"I  suppose  you  saw  that  letter  that  appeared  in  the 
Mail  of  Friday.  I  think  it  must  have  been  that  to 
which  you  referred  in  your  letter  on  Monday.  I  never 
saw  it  till  I  came  here.  It  is  a  most  diabolical  attempt 
to  ruin  my  character,  but  I  trust  it  will  fail.  The  Home 
Mission  Committee  came  nobly  to  my  rescue,  and  I  am 
going  to  see  if  I  cannot  have  the  matter  set  right  here, 
etc.  The  Mail  apologized  for  inserting  it  already.  I 
went  to  see  Dr.  King,  but  he  was  out.  This  has  worried 
me  a  good  deal.  I  do  not  like  to  suspect  any  one.  The 
Home  Mission  Committee  would  feel  like  insisting  on  put- 
ting any  one  guilty  of  such  an  action  out  of  the  Church. 
But  I  trust  we  shall  get  over  all  this  with  God's 
help." 

The  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee,  then  con- 
vened in  Toronto,  deeply  resented  this  slanderous  attack 
upon  its  honoured  and  trusted  Superintendent,  and  gave 
the  matter  into  the  hands  of  a  Committee  consisting  of 
Dr.  King,  Dr.  Cochrane,  Messrs.  Macdonnell,  Farries, 
and  McKenzie.  This  Committee  presented  the  following 
report  which  was  unanimously  adopted  : 

"The  Home  Mission  Committee  having  had  its  atten- 
tion called  to  an  anonymous  communication  which,  as 
admitted  by  the  editor,  was  allowed  without  due  consid- 
eration to  appear  in  the  Toronto  Mail  of  Friday,  23d  of 
March,  reflecting  injuriously  on  the  Committee's  admin- 


250       TPIE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

istration,  and  throwing  very  grave  and  slanderous  asper- 
sions on  the  character  of  the  Superintendent  of  Missions 
in  the  Northwest,  resolves  as  follows  : 

"1.  That  the  statements  contained  in  the  letter  re- 
specting the  working  of  the  Home  Mission  field  both  in 
the  Northwest  and  in  Ontario,  are  in  many  particulars 
misleading  and  untruthful. 

"2.  That  Mr.  Robertson,  the  Superintendent  of  Mis- 
sions, has  proved  himself  to  be  an  intelligent,  indefati- 
gable and  self-sacrificing  agent  of  the  Church  ;  that  dur- 
ing the  short  period  in  which  he  has  filled  the  position, 
he  has  been  singularly  successful,  in  developing  the  lib- 
erality of  the  people  in  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest,  both 
in  the  support  of  ordinances  and  in  the  creation  of  a 
Church  and  Manse  Building  Fund  ;  in  securing  the  acces- 
sion to  the  field  of  valuable  labourers,  both  ministers  and 
students,  and,  generally,  in  promoting  the  rapid  extension 
of  the  work  therein. 

U3.  That  the  Committee  has  seen  with  pain  and  in- 
dignation this  attempt  to  damage  the  ministerial  stand- 
ing and  personal  character  of  Mr.  Robertson,  not  refrain- 
ing from  invading  even  the  privacies  of  domestic  life ; 
that  it  assures  him  of  its  deep  sympathy  with  him  under 
an  attack  at  once  so  undeserved,  so  malignant,  and  so 
cowardly ;  that  it  embraces  the  opportunity  to  express 
the  high  esteem  in  which  its  members  hold  him  for  his 
mental  vigour,  his  breadth  of  view,  his  devotion  to  the 
Church's  interests,  and  his  zeal  in  discharging  the  duties 
of  his  difficult  position,  and  to  assure  him  of  its  hearty 
support  in  carrying  on  the  work  to  which  the  highest 
court  of  the  Church  has  called  him." 

Somewhat  similar  in  spirit  and  even  more  cowardly  in 
manner  was  the  attack  made  upon  the  Superintendent 
and  his  administration  from  another  quarter.  "With  his 
customary  vigour  the  Superintendent  defends  himself 


FRICTION  251 

and  with  good  effect,  as  appears  from  a  letter  written  to 
his  Mend  Professor  Hart : 

"From  Dr.  Cochrane  I  learned  that  Mr.  Blank  was 
sending  down  statements  to  him  about  our  financial  state 
that  are  absolutely  false.  He  represented  that  we  are 
$1, 700  behind  for  the  work  of  last  summer,  and,  of  course, 
he  laid  the  blame  on  my  shoulders.  The  fact  is,  that  if 
the  stations  pay  as  expected,  every  cent  will  be  wiped 
out.  Our  assets  and  amounts  due  from  stations  cover  our 
liabilities.  The  Doctor  kindly  read  letters  received,  that 
will  compel  me  to  make  Mr.  Blank  keep  a  copy  of  all  let- 
ters sent  for  perusal,  for  I  find  that  he  is  a  sneak  and  a 
coward,  not  sticking  to  the  truth  by  any  means  in  his 
statements.  This  I  showed  the  Doctor  to  his  satisfaction. 

"The  difficulty  in  Dr.  Reid's  office  was  no  difficulty  at 
all.  Instead  of  our  account  being  overdrawn,  there  was 
something  coming  to  us.  Not  only  so,  but  a  check  of 
$64  of  Mr.  Moodie's  charged  against  us  was  paid,  and 
$150  sent  to  Mr.  Warden  not  accounted  for.  It  likely 
went  to  pay  some  minister  sent  out  permanently.  The 
tactics  of  the  gentleman  are  now  known  and  he  can  be 
checked." 

While  the  mission  work  of  the  West  was  administered 
by  the  single  Presbytery  of  Manitoba,  the  Superintend- 
ent, by  frequent  consultation  with  members  of  his  Com- 
mittee, was  able  to  prevent  friction  to  a  large  extent,  but 
after  the  erection  of  the  Presbyteries  of  Brandon  and 
Rock  Lake  and  of  the  Synod  of  Manitoba  and  the  North- 
west Territories,  each  of  these  three  courts  having  its  own 
Home  Mission  Committee  and  Home  Mission  Convener, 
the  occasions  of  misunderstanding  and  the  opportunities 
of  friction  were,  of  course,  multiplied  fourfold.  In  the 
disposition  of  men  and  in  the  payment  of  grants  it  was 
charged  that  the  Synod's  Home  Mission  Committee,  and 
especially  the  Convener  of  that  Committee,  who  also  was 


252       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

the  Superintendent  of  Missions,  acted  arbitrarily  and 
without  consulting  the  Presbytery  authorities. 

The  irritation  in  the  Presbyteries  of  Brandon  and  Rock 
Lake  found  expression  in  various  appeals  to  the  As- 
sembly's Home  Mission  Committee,  but  at  length  was  em- 
bodied in  two  overtures  from  these  Presbyteries  to  the 
General  Assembly  of  1886.  The  General  Assembly  re- 
ceiving the  overtures,  determined  to  get  to  the  bottom  of 
the  difficulty.  There  was  an  uneasy  feeling  in  the  mind 
of  the  Assembly  that  there  must  be  some  serious  cause 
for  the  discontent  and  the  irritation  that  was  said  to  be 
so  wide-spread  in  the  West.  The  overture  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Brandon  sought  relief  against  the  method 
presently  in  vOgue  of  distributing  grants,  and  prayed  for 
the  abolishing  of  the  Synod's  Home  Mission  Committee. 
The  overture  from  the  Presbytery  of  Rock  Lake  prayed 
the  General  Assembly  so  to  amend  the  instructions  given 
to  the  Superintendent  of  Missions  as  to  prevent  the  pow- 
ers entrusted  to  him  from  conflicting  with  the  undoubted 
rights  and  privileges  of  Presbyteries.  The  overtures 
were  supported  in  the  Assembly  and  afterwards  in  Com- 
mittee by  men,  some  of  whom  were  warm  personal  friends 
and  admirers  of  the  Superintendent's  who  were  opposed, 
some  to  the  idea  of  a  superintendency  altogether,  and 
others  to  the  peculiar  methods  employed  by  the  Superin- 
tendent and  the  Synod's  Home  Mission  Committee.  The 
fate  of  the  overtures  is  told  in  the  following  extract  taken 
from  a  letter  written  by  one  who  took  a  somewhat  promi- 
nent part  in  the  settlement  of  the  affair  : 

1  i  The  chief  speaker  in  the  presentation  of  these  over- 
tures was  the  Rev.  James  Todd,  at  that  time  minister  of 
Burnside.  Mr.  Todd  was  strong  on  constitutional  law  and 
saw  no  place  in  the  government  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  for  such  a  personage  as  a  Superintendent.  He 
has  presumably  changed  his  mind  since  that  day,  for  he 


FRICTION  253 

now  occupies  with  credit  to  himself  and  no  little  useful- 
ness to  the  Church,  the  position  of  Superintendent  of  Mis- 
sions in  the  New  England  States,  in  the  interests  of  the 
American  Presbyterian  Church.  The  debate  in  the  As- 
sembly was  lengthy  and  complicated,  and  after  three 
several  motions  had  been  proposed,  it  was  agreed  to  refer 
the  matter  to  a  special  Committee  to  be  made  up  : 

"  1.     Of  the  Home  Mission  Committee, 

"2.  Western  Commissioners  who  were  present  at  the 
Assembly,  and 

"  3.  Six  members  of  the  Assembly  nominated  by 
the  Moderator.  This  Committee  met  and  spent  a  whole 
evening  in  deliberation.  Feeling,  especially  among 
the  Western  members,  was  tense,  and  the  discussion  will 
long  linger  in  the  minds  of  those  who  were  present  at  it. 
The  chief  men  in  advocacy  of  the  policy  recommended 
in  the  overtures  were,  in  addition  to  Mr.  Todd,  Eev.  C.  B. 
Pitblado,  of  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Winnipeg,  Dr.  Bryce, 
and  Mr.  W.  D.  Eussell.  The  leading  men  who  ad- 
vocated the  maintenance  of  the  Superintendency  were 
Eev.  D.  M.  Gordon,  minister  of  Knox  Church,  Winni- 
peg, Professor  Hart,  Messrs.  Arch.  McLaren  of  Spring- 
field, and  A.  B.  Baird,  of  Edmonton.  The  time  of  the 
Committee  was  taken  up  chiefly  in  the  discussion  of 
specific  instances,  showing  the  unsatisfactory  nature  of 
the  management  of  Home  Missions  in  the  West.  The 
Committee  insisted  that  it  needed  such  specific  instances 
in  order  to  judge  of  the  merits  of  the  case.  The  oppo- 
nents of  the  Superintendency  were  somewhat  at  a  loss,  be- 
cause as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  what  they  were  able  to 
present  was  in  a  considerable  measure  only  hearsay  evi- 
dence, about  the  details  of  which,  when  they  were  cross- 
examined,  they  were  rather  hazy.  The  gist  of  the  charges 
was  that  the  Superintendent  had  acted  in  an  arbitrary 
way,  overriding  or  failing  to  give  effect  to  the  decisions 


254:       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

of  Presbyteries,  transferring  men  from  one  field  to  an- 
other without  Presbyterial  authority  and  such  like.  The 
feature  of  the  evening  which  lingers  most  clearly  in  my 
mind  is  Dr.  Robertson's  defence.  It  was  a  masterpiece ; 
he  had  perfect  control  of  his  temper  (something  which 
could  not  be  said  of  every  member  of  the  Committee),  and 
he  had  the  advantage,  too,  of  replying  to  charges  in  which 
he  was  more  complete  master  of  the  facts  than  any  one 
of  those  who  brought  the  charges.  Indeed,  he,  in  excess 
of  candour  and  with  some  humour,  pointed  out  in  one  or 
two  instances  where  the  allegations  against  him  were  not 
as  strong  as  they  might  have  been  made,  and  indicated 
where  his  fault  had  been  greater  than  alleged.  He  took 
up  in  detail  the  instances  brought  forward,  and  showed 
that  however  arbitrary  his  conduct  looked  on  a  partial 
statement  of  the  facts,  when  the  facts  were  fully  stated, 
his  procedure  was  seen  to  be  not  only  capable  of  defence, 
but  the  most  suitable  and  even  the  inevitable  course  in 
the  circumstances.  The  freedom  from  bitterness  which 
marked  his  statement,  the  marvellous  memory  which  kept 
in  view  the  names  and  details  of  each  case,  the  organiz- 
ing faculty  which  made  him  ready,  at  risk  to  his  own  rep- 
utation, to  make  the  most  of  every  strategic  situation, 
and  his  manifest  devotion  to  his  work  made  that  evening 
an  impression  which,  instead  of  causing  the  Church  to 
mistrust  him,  placed  him  higher  in  her  confidence  than 
he  had  ever  been  before.  The  report  of  this  Committee 
when  it  was  presented  to  the  General  Assembly  contained 
a  large  number  of  clauses  dealing  for  the  most  part  with 
the  constitution  and  work  of  the  Synodical  Home  Mission 
Committee.  But  among  other  things  the  Committee  de- 
clared that  '  It  is  undesirable  to  effect  any  change  in  the 
regulations  affecting  the  duties  of  the  Superintendent  or 
his  relationship  to  the  Synod  or  the  Presbyteries  within 
its  bounds.'  And  in  another  clause  the  Committee  rec- 


FRICTION  255 

ommended  to  the  Assembly  to  place  on  record  its  appre- 
ciation of  the  services  rendered  by  the  Superintendent  of 
Missions  i  whose  labours  have  resulted  so  beneficially  in 
the  furtherance  of  the  work  of  the  Church  in  the  North- 
west. >  » 

This  deliverance  of  the  Assembly  broke  the  back  of  all 
opposition  to  the  Superintendency  and  cleared  the  air  of 
all  the  clouds  of  suspicion  and  distrust  that  had  hovered 
about  the  administration  of  Western  missions.  It  also  de- 
fined more  clearly  the  limits  within  which  the  various  com- 
mittees and  officials  should  exercise  their  functions,  and 
revealed  this  fact,  that  as  in  so  many  cases  the  misunder- 
standings and  difficulties  that  had  arisen  were  to  be  traced 
not  so  much  to  the  perversity  of  those  engaged  in  the 
work,  as  to  defects  in  the  system  under  which  the  work 
was  carried  on.  Henceforth  the  Superintendent  will 
claim  no  powers  but  such  as  are  delegated  by  Presby- 
tery, though  it  is  to  be  feared  that  he  will  continue  to  be 
what  an  indignant  critic  once  called  him,  "  a  walking 
Presbytery  himself. ' '  There  will  be  criticism  both  of  the 
man  and  of  his  methods,  and  there  will  be  misunder- 
standings with  Committees  and  Conveners,  but  the  triumph 
of  the  Superintendent,  both  before  the  Committee  and 
upon  the  floor  of  the  General  Assembly  itself,  was  so  com- 
plete and  so  conspicuous,  that  no  one  henceforth  will  ever 
venture  to  hale  him  before  any  Church  court  soever. 
And  it  is  fair  to  say  that  those  who  opposed  him  that  day 
were,  for  the  most  part,  uninfluenced  by  personal  animus, 
and  those  who  continued  to  be  co-labourers  with  him  in 
Western  work  came  to  give  him  full  confidence  and  af- 
fection, freely  forgiving  what  in  their  judgment  they 
could  not  approve  as  being  in  harmony  with  Presbyterian 
polity. 


XXVI 

GETTING  HIS  MEN 

THE  Superintendent's  first  business  was  to  get  his 
men,  and  this  proved  to  be  as  difficult  a  task  as 
the  catching  of  the  proverbial  hare  ;  more  so,  in- 
deed, for  as  a  rule  the  hare  stayed  caught  and  without 
further  ado  went  duly  into  the  soup.  But  the  men  after 
being  caught  had  to  be  held  and  handled  with  extreme 
care.  The  sudden  and  wonderful  expansion  of  missionary 
work  between  the  years  1881  and  1885  created  an  unusual 
demand  for  missionaries,  far  greater  than  could  be  sup- 
plied by  the  graduates  of  our  Colleges.  One  consequence 
of  this  inadequacy  of  supply  was  a  keen  competition  for 
desirable  men  on  the  part  of  the  various  Presbyteries 
east  and  west,  the  principle  of  selection  being  too  often 
every  man  for  himself,  with  the  result  that  in  spite  of 
stern  regulations  by  the  Home  Mission  Committee  against 
"private  arrangement, "  the  Conveners  nearest  the  source 
of  supply,  for  obvious  reasons,  often  fared  much  better 
than  those  more  remote.  And  although  the  Home  Mis- 
sion Committee  made  earnest  efforts  to  furnish  the  Super- 
intendent with  his  full  quota  of  men,  it  came  to  pass  that 
when  the  supply  was  exhausted,  many  Western  fields 
were  still  vacant. 

In  1885,  the  situation  was  so  serious  that  the  Superin- 
tendent was  sent  to  Union  and  Princeton  Theological 
Seminaries  in  search  of  men.  His  visit  to  Princeton  is 
described  by  one  who  has  given  long  and  distinguished 
service  to  the  West  and  who  still  holds  an  honoured  place 
in  his  Church. 

256 


GETTING  HIS  MEN  257 

"  As  I  sat  one  evening  in  my  room  at  the  l  Old  Semi- 
nary/ Princeton,  in  February,  1885,  a  rap  was  heard  at 
the  door.  Thinking  some  friendly  neighbour  was  com- 
ing, I  roared  out  in  student  fashion,  *  Come  ! ' 

"  Slowly  the  door  swung  back,  and  there,  as  if  waiting 
a  more  formal  invitation,  stood  a  tall,  gaunt-looking 
stranger.  I  arose  and  assumed  a  civilized  demeanour 
when  the  stranger  advanced  and,  extending  his  hand, 
said,  'How  do  you  do,  sir?  My  name  is  Eobertson, 
from  the  Canadian  Northwest.  I  saw  your  name,  sir,  in 
the  directory  in  the  hall,  and  came  to  your  room  think- 
ing there  might  have  been  an  error  in  one  of  the  initials. 
We  had  an  E.  C.  Murray  in  our  Western  work  last  sum- 
mer, who  is  taking  a  post-graduate  course  somewhere, 
and  I  thought  possibly  it  might  be  he  who  roomed  here/ 

"To  set  him  at  his  ease  on  the  matter  of  intrusion,  I 
said  : 

"  'No,  sir,  I  am  S.  C.  Murray,  and  I  am  very  glad  to 
see  you,  Mr.  Eobertson.  I  have  been  reading  a  good 
deal  about  our  Northwest,  and  I  have  thought  of  ventur- 
ing west  myself  when  I  get  through/ 

"There  was  a  sudden  light  in  the  eye  as  he  almost 
greedily  asked,  '  Are  you  a  Canadian  ! ' 

"'Iain.' 

"  l  When  do  you  graduate  ?  ' 

"'This  year/ 

"  'How  many  Canadians  have  you  in  Princeton  this 
year ! > 

"  'Nineteen  altogether/ 

"  '  How  many  graduate  f ' 

"'Five/ 

" '  Where  could  I  see  these  men?  I  am  most  anxious 
to  meet  with  all  the  Canadian  students  before  I  leave  to- 
morrow/ 

"  'If  you  will  remain  here,  I  will  go  at  once  and  ask 


258       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

them  to  meet  you,  and  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  have  you 
occupy  this  room  this  evening  and  to-morrow,  as  you  may 
be  able  to  arrange  interviews  with  the  fellows.' 

' ' i  Thank  you,  sir,  very  much ;  that  is  very  kind  of 
you,  indeed.  ' 

"From  that  time  Mr.  Robertson  was  my  very  warm 
friend,  and  never  awaited  an  invitation  to  my  home,  and, 
no  matter  when  he  came,  he  was  a  welcome  guest. 

"  In  a  short  time  the  Canadian  boys  came  dropping  in. 
That  evening  and  the  next  forenoon  we  heard  of  the  great 
Canadian  West,  its  resources,  its  vastness,  its  future. 
'  How  about  the  winters  ? '  i  How  are  settlers  supplied 
with  •  fuel  ? '  i  How  will  the  rebellion  affect  missions  ? ' 
i  Do  you  think  the  country  will  ever  be  well  settled  ? ' 
All  manner  of  questions  were  put,  not  forgetting  i  What 
salary  do  you  pay  your  men  ? '  of  course.  I  shall  never 
forget  the  magnificent  confidence  of  the  man  as,  with  one 
prophetic  sweep,  he  brushed  aside  all  the  questioners' 
doubts  by  exclaiming : 

"  l  If  there  is  anything,  young  gentlemen,  in  Divine 
Providence,  I  cannot  believe  that  He  has  locked  up  such 
vast  resources  as  are  found  in  the  Canadian  West,  with- 
out intending  that  country  to  be  one  day  well  populated.' 

"  He  dipped  into  the  future  as  far  as  human  eye  could 
see,  saw  the  vision  of  the  West  and  all  the  wonder  that 
would  be.  I  had  to  attend  lectures  part  of  the  day,  but 
had  opportunity  to  see  a  good  deal  of  the  man  and  hear 
a  good  deal  of  the  West.  When  we  were  alone  he  said  : 

"  '  I  want  to  tell  you  about  my  coming  here.  A  few 
of  us  met  in  Toronto,  and  we  were  feeling  keenly  the 
need  of  men.  We  knelt  in  prayer  to  ask  Divine  guid- 
ance. Immediately  upon  rising,  two  or  three  of  the  Com- 
mittee said  almost  simultaneously,  "Mr.  Robertson,  go 
down  to  Union  and  Princeton  and  see  what  you  can  do." 
I  left  Toronto  at  once,  and  you  know,  sir,  how  I  got  to 


GETTING  HIS  MEN 


259 


your  room.  And  as  you  have  been  waiting  for  the  provi- 
dential guidance  as  to  your  future  field,  I  think  you 
should  have  no  difficulty  in  settling  the  difficulty  now.' 

"  And  I  hadn't." 

The  student  came  in  July  of  that  year,  and  with  the 
West  he  has  been  identified  ever  since,  taking  his  full 
share  of  the  toil,  exposure,  and  privation  incident  to  the 
planting  of  the  Western  Church,  and  winning  and  hold- 
ing to  the  very  end  the  affection  and  the  esteem  of  his 
great  chief. 

It  was  at  the  Assembly  of  1885,  as  we  have  seen,  that 
the  attempt  was  made  to  establish  a  Summer  Session  in 
Theology  in  one  of  the  colleges.  But  the  college  selected 
by  the  Assembly  declined  the  experiment,  and  the  Super- 
intendent and  his  Committee  were  left  to  struggle  as  best 
they  could  with  the  question  of  supply  for  the  Western 
fields. 

Like  other  questions,  the  Western  service  could  be 
viewed  from  different  standpoints,  with  very  different 
results.  There  was  the  view-point  of  the  theological 
graduate  seeking  a  congenial  field  of  labour.  And  it 
would  not  be  surprising  if  Ontario,  offering  all  the  com- 
forts and  congenialities,  physical,  literary,  social,  of  a 
civilized  community  should  make  strong  appeal  over  the 
remote,  laborious,  unbroken  fields  of  the  far  West.  There 
was  the  view-point  also  of  the  college  professor,  who,  am- 
bitious for  his  college  and  with  an  eye  for  future  harvests, 
would  prefer  to  sow  his  seed  in  the  fertile  fields  of 
wealthy  Ontario.  It  is  not  impossible  to  understand  how 
he  might  offer  such  advice  as  one  professor  did  to  a  fa- 
vourite graduate.  "Oh,  Mr.  Blank,  there  is  surely  no 
need  for  you  to  go  West.  You  would  find  no  difficulty 
in  securing  a  good  congregation  in  Ontario."  Of  course, 
there  were  other  students  and  other  professors  ;  students 
whose  ears  were  open  to  the  call  of  service  without  regard 


260       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

to  place  or  circumstance  ;  students  to  whom  the  call  to 
difficulty,  privation,  and  peril  came  with  irresistible  force, 
and  who  stood  ready  to  follow  the  trail  whether  leading 
east  or  west.  There  were  professors,  too,  who  placed 
Church  before  College  and  who  were  quick  to  recognize 
the  day  of  opportunity  for  the  Church  and  for  Canada. 

These  students  and  these  professors  were  the  joy  of  the 
Superintendent's  heart.  His  view-point  in  regard  to 
Western  missions  was  very  easily  arrived  at.  The  future 
of  Canada  was  bound  up  with  that  of  the  country  lying 
beyond  the  Great  Lakes.  The  concern  of  the  Church  was 
that  the  foundations  of  empire  in  that  vast  land  should 
be  laid  in  righteousness.  The  rapid  development  of  that 
country  created  immediate  and  pressing  demand  for  mis- 
sionary effort.  Before  all  other  fields  this  took  prefer- 
ence, and  for  these  present  formative  years  the  claims  of 
this  work  upon  the  Canadian  Church  were  paramount. 
With  him  it  was  The  West,  The  West,  and  ever  The 
West.  The  vastness  of  responsibility,  the  magnificence 
of  opportunity,  the  urgency  of  need  kindled  in  his  heart 
a  fire  that  never  burned  low,  much  less  died  out.  He 
could  never  get  all  his  fields  filled,  and  in  consequence  he 
was  always  hungry  for  men,  and  the  longer  the  list  of  his 
vacancies,  the  fiercer  this  hunger  grew.  From  college  to 
college  he  went  year  after  year  haranguing,  appealing, 
pleading  for  men  and  with  varying  success. 

"  I  am  going, "  he  writes,  "  to  all  the  colleges  to  advo- 
cate a  larger  number  of  grads  going  West.  We  must 
advance  in  our  present  policy.  Four  or  five  licentiates 
went  to  Princeton  this  winter  to  take  a  post-graduate 
course,  simply  because  not  called  last  summer — and  they 
will  come  out  next  spring  fresh  like  an  old  maid  the 
second  term.  Oh,  the  folly  of  thinking  you  have  a  call 
to  preach,  and  will  not  hear  a  voice  from  any  place  but 
Ontario !" 


GETTING  HIS  MEN  261 

In  a  letter  to  that  sturdy  pioneer  missionary,  Eev. 
D.  G.  McQueen,  he  says  with  fine  irony  : 

"Fort  Saskatchewan  should  have  an  ordained  man 
now  if  possible,  but  men  are  very  scarce,  and  our  young 
men  religiously  avoid  missions  and  augmented  congrega- 
tions. Providence  never  guides  their  steps  to  them.  He 
seems  to  take  charge  of  places  with  large  salaries  and 
comfortable  surroundings,  and  missions  'and  such7  are 

left  to .  So  I  interpret  the  cant  I  am  compelled  to 

hear.'7 

Successive  disappointments  wrought  in  him  a  distrust 
of  the  motives  animating  some  of  those  studying  for  the 
Gospel  ministry.  To  a  Western  Convener  he  allows  him- 
self to  write  as  follows  : 

"  Our  young  graduates  in  the  East  think  that  God  calls 
them  to  places  where  the  work  is  easy,  the  meals  good 
and  the  beds  soft,  and  that  a  call  where  work  is  hard  and 
the  climate  severe  must  be  from  the  evil  one,  and  I  fear 
they  act  on  this  impression.'7 

To  another  he  writes  in  a  somewhat  severe  strain  in 
regard  to  the  supply  for  a  difficult  British  Columbia 
field: 

"As  for  Princeton,  I  do  not  think  that  we  have  got 
the  man  yet  that  will  suit.  I  am  afraid  that  the  most  of 
our  men  have  neither  grit  nor  leg  enough  to  climb  5,000 
feet  and  travel  thirty-five  miles  in  the  specified  time,  and 
we  don't  want  any  Mr.  F 7s  to  go  in  there.  Mission- 
ary fakirs  are  the  worst  fakirs,  and  it  would  seem  as  if 
Canada  was  getting  quite  a  number  of  them  now.  I 
think  they  should  be  left  severely  alone,  and  I  am  of  the 
opinion,  moreover,  that  some  men  are  possessed  not  so 
much  of  love  for  mission  work  as  of  hatred  for  other 
work.  These  are  not  the  men  for  us.77 

There  is  no  doubt  of  that,  for  these  are  the  men  whose 
courage  will  break,  to  the  ruin  of  the  cause  and  the  dis- 


262       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

courageinent  of  all  who  labour  in  it.  But  the  Superin- 
tendent has  in  a  marked  degree  a  saving  sense  of  humour, 
and  a  gleam  of  this  same  grim  humour  of  his  lights  up 
his  most  doleful  letters. 

* '  Men  not  available,  and  although  you  could  make 
even  a  husky  team  'get*  by  picturesque  profanity,  you 
cannot  start  an  ordinary  Ontario  man.  He  simply  looks 
at  you,  rubs  his  hands,  and  says,  *  I  think  I  shall  stay  at 
home  this  winter.  I'll  think  about  it  in  the  spring.  I 

hope  I  am  not  disappointing  you.'  Keep  F at 

Beaver  and  M at  Leduc — better  a  dinner  of  herbs 

than  starvation." 

In  the  following  manner  he  strives  to  bring  comfort  to 
a  Western  Convener  sorely  disappointed  in  the  quality  of 
the  supply  sent  him  : 

"  Your  letters  are  always  welcome,  and  there  is  no 
mistaking  your  fist,  but  you  were  in  bad  humour  when 
you  wrote  the  last.  We  could  have  stationed  your  men 
for  you,  but  we  did  not  think  that  quite  fair,  and  so  sent 
them  through  that  you  might  put  the  big  ox  in  the  wide 
stall  and  the  small  one  in  the  narrow.  And,  truth  to 
tell,  we  took  some  of  them  because  they  offered  for  a 
year,  on  the  certificate  of  members  of  the  Committee ;  our 
eyes  never  beheld  them.  Faith  plays  a  very  important 

part  in  the  appointments  of  the  Committee.  S has 

backed  out,  and  R was  sent  to  take  his  place.  He  is 

not  much  to  look  at,  but  he  is  a  good  one  to  work — so  I 
am  told.  I  take  all  responsibility  for  your  appoint- 
ments. If  you  get  some  hickory  sticks  and  some  plain 
basswood,  people  are  unreasonable  in  supposing  that  you 
can  change  the  inferior  into  the  superior  timber." 

The  Superintendent  was  especially  critical  of  those  who 
would  pick  and  choose  their  spheres  of  labour.  One 
year  he  was  sorely  put  out  by  the  attitude  of  a  number  of 
men  who,  finding  it  impossible  to  secure  appointments  to 


GETTING  HIS  MEN  263 

the  Foreign  Mission  field  for  which,  they  had  volunteered, 
declined  service  in  his  beloved  West. 

"I  pleaded  the  case  with  them,"  he  writes,  "and 
finally  a  number  of  them  promised  to  lay  the  matter  be- 
fore the  Lord.  I  told  them  that  they  need  not  take  the 
trouble,  for  I  could  tell  them  now  what  the  answer  would  be, 
for  I  had  found  that  whenever  a  man  proposed  to  ask  the 
Lord  about  Western  work,  the  Lord  as  a  rule  indicated  a 
less  laborious  sphere.  Indeed,  if  I  were  to  judge  by 
the  experience  of  these  men,  I  would  be  forced  to  believe 
that  the  Lord  had  a  kind  of  grudge  against  the  West.'7 

He  discovered  a  peculiarly  fine  vein  of  sarcasm  in  deal- 
ing with  men  who  shrank  from  the  hardships  of  mission- 
ary life  and  were  fertile  in  excuse.  In  the  following 
manner  he  writes  a  British  Columbia  Convener  : 

1 1 A  number  of  men  were  approached  with  a  view  to 
going  to  Horsefly,  but  all  complained  of  some  ailment  or 
physical  defect  that  seemed  to  incapacitate  them  for  this 
field.  One  had  something  the  matter  with  his  spine,  an- 
other had  his  back  wrenched  by  a  chair  being  pulled 
from  under  him  at  college,  a  third  could  not  ride  with- 
out becoming  seasick,  the  mother  of  a  fourth  was  old,  the 
father  of  another  delicate  and  he  could  not  go  away  so 
far,  while  the  sixth  was  engaged  to  be  married  and 
Horsefly  was  not  a  place  to  which  to  take  a  wife.  I  hope 
that  next  spring  so  many  of  the  men  will  not  offer  ex- 
cuses of  that  kind  when  approached." 

The  Superintendent  used  to  relate  with  grim  relish  an 
experience  with  a  college  graduate,  a  young  man  of  fine 
ability  and  of  genuine  missionary  spirit,  who,  under  the 
inspiration  of  one  of  those  great  addresses  of  the  Superin- 
tendent's, offered  for  Western  work.  Greatly  delighted 
with  his  spirit  and  with  his  appearance,  the  Superin- 
tendent selected  a  field  in  British  Columbia  remote  from 
civilization  and  calling  for  very  considerable  self-denial. 


264       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"But  to  my  surprise,  sir,"  said  the  Superintendent, 
relating  the  incident,  "the  very  next  morning  I  received 
a  letter  declining  the  appointment.  I  afterwards  learned 
the  cause.  This  sudden  change  of  mind  was  due  to  his 
young  lady  and  her  family.  For  on  hearing  the  news  of 
the  appointment,  it  appears  that  the  mother  burst  into 
tears,  the  sister  went  into  hysterics  and  the  young  lady 
herself  lapsed  into  a  succession  of  swoons  from  which 
nothing  would  recall  her  but  a  promise  that  her  lover 
would  abandon  forever  so  desperate  a  venture  as  a  British 
Columbia  mission  field.  I  was  hardly  surprised  to  learn, ' ' 
he  added  with  evident  relish,  * l  that  within  a  year  that 
engagement  was  broken.  And  for  his  sake,  sir,  I  was 
glad  of  it.' > 

There  were  times  when  the  Superintendent  allowed  his 
disappointment  and  desperation  to  extend  the  sickly  hue 
of  suspicion  from  the  students  to  the  college  in  which  they 
were  trained,  and  to  the  professors  whose  stamp  they  were 
supposed  to  bear. 

"There  is  something  sadly  wrong,"  he  writes,  "  about 
our  young  men  and  the  mission  field,  and  the  same  dis- 
ease seems  to  trouble  the  American  Church,  as  their  re- 
ports disclose.  People  are  praying  for  a  revival  of  relig- 
ion ;  the  dry  places  of  our  Church,  the  places  that  need 
most  to  be  revived,  are  the  colleges,  including  the  profess- 
ors, for  had  the  professors  done  their  duty  all  the  years 
of  the  past,  the  state  of  things  we  have  would  not  exist. 
The  Church  has  left  the  College  to  forage  all  over  the 
Church  for  itself;  the  professors,  consequently,  wish  as 
many  of  their  own  students  as  possible  to  be  settled  in 
Ontario  and  in  good  charges,  so  that  the  congregations  of 
these  men  may  help  the  College.  There  is,  consequently, 
no  effort  made  to  keep  the  frontier  before  the  students. 
Nor  do  professors  go  out  to  see  the  field  for  themselves  j 
they  stick  about  the  towns  or  go  to  Britain,  watering- 


GETTING  HIS  MEN  2C5 

places,  etc.,  and  the  wants  of  the  field  are  not  known. 
The  American  Assembly  is  bringing  this  matter  before 
the  colleges,  and,  evidently,  if  their  students  shirk  the 
work,  the  Assembly  would  like  to  know  why.  I  wish  to 
visit  these  colleges  ere  long  and  tell  the  students  a  few 
plain  things. " 

And  without  a  doubt  this  wish  was  gratified  to  his  own 
relief  and,  let  us  hope,  to  the  wholesome  stirring  of  these 
same  dry  bones. 

On  another  occasion,  hearing  that  a  college  professor 
had  been  criticising  a  proposal  to  bring  out  men  from 
Britain,  he  proceeded  to  deal  with  the  situation  in  the 
following  manner  : 

"  I  got  him  into  the  chair  in  a  meeting  in  his  own  col- 
lege last  week,  and  gave  him  an  exposition  of  the  situa- 
tion, and  showed  how  absurd  it  would  be  for  us  to  have 
work  undone,  asking  British  people  to  help  us  to  do  it, 
getting  their  financial  help,  and  yet  refusing  their  men, 
when  our  own  refused  to  go  even  when  subsidized  by 
British  funds.  I  told  of  my  experience  of  writing  to 
nearly  thirty  graduates  last  autumn,  and  of  getting  one — a 
solitary  grad.  to  go.  He  had  nothing  to  say,  but  affirmed 
that  he  was  favourable  to  men  going  west.  My  reply 
was  that  his  students  did  not  heed  his  advice  then,  for 
since  I  was  Superintendent  we  had  got  but  an  average  of 
half  a  man  a  year.'7 

The  need  of  missionaries  for  Western  supply  at  length 
passed  beyond  the  bearing  point,  and  compelled  the 
serious  attention  of  the  whole  Church.  In  1891,  the  ques- 
tion of  a  Summer  Session  in  Theology  was  revived. 
Overtures  requesting  the  establishment  of  such  a  session 
were  presented  to  the  General  Assembly  from  the  Presby- 
teries of  Toronto  and  of  Brandon.  These  overtures  were 
discussed  with  more  than  ordinary  eloquence  and  energy, 
and  were  sent  to  a  Committee  representing  almost  all  the 


266       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

great  departments  of  the  Church's  work.  The  Committee 
laboured  with  the  proposal  for  many  hours  and  finally  re- 
ported unfavourably  to  the  proposed  change.  At  this 
juncture  a  Western  representative,  Professor  Bryce, 
backed  up  by  Professor  Scriinger  of  Montreal,  submitted 
an  amendment  asking  for  the  establishment  of  a  Summer 
Session  in  Manitoba  College.  This  was  fiercely  opposed, 
but  at  length  it  was  given  to  another  Western  representa- 
tive to  suggest  a  solution  that  seemed  to  indicate  the  way 
of  least  resistance.  On  motion  of  the  Rev.  HughMcKel- 
lar,  the  matter  was  remitted  to  the  various  Presbyteries 
for  judgment.  The  following  year  forty-six  Presbyteries 
reported,  thirty-three  favouring  the  establishment  of  a 
Summer  Session  and  twenty -three  expressing  preference 
for  Manitoba  College.  This  report  was  again  referred  to 
a  Committee,  large  and  influential.  Once  more  the  Com- 
mittee laboured  with  the  question  and  referred  the  whole 
matter  back  to  the  Assembly.  A  motion  to  lay  on  the 
table  was  proposed  and  lost.  Finally,  on  motion  of  Rev. 
D.  M.  Gordon,  former  minister  of  Knox  Church,  Winni- 
peg, the  Assembly  agreed  that  a  session  in  Theology 
should  be  held  in  the  summer  of  1893  in  Manitoba  Col- 
lege, which  session  was  duly  held,  Principal  Grant,  Pro- 
fessors Maclaren,  Scrimger  and  Thomson,  and  the  Rev. 
Peter  Wright  of  Portage  la  Prairie,  assisting  the  staff  of 
Manitoba  College. 

To  the  Assembly  of  1893  the  Superintendent  was  able 
to  report  that  during  the  previous  winter,  in  anticipation 
of  the  Summer  Session,  twenty-six  Mission  stations,  with 
a  constituency  of  over  1,200  Presbyterian  families,  had 
enjoyed  Gospel  ordinances  and  with  an  increased  expend- 
iture of  only  $1,400.  The  Summer  Session  was  proved 
to  be  an  unqualified  success,  and  for  nine  years  continued 
to  give  most  valuable  service  to  the  Church,  both  west 
and  east. 


GETTING  HIS  MEN  2G7 

But  in  spite  of  the  relief  thus  afforded,  the  phenomenal 
expansion  of  settlement  consequent  upon  the  growing 
volume  of  immigration  into  Western  Canada,  rendered 
the  supply  of  mission  fields  increasingly  difficult,  until  in 
1900  the  Superintendent  in  his  report  is  forced  to  say 
somewhat  bitterly  : 

"For  a  number  of  years  past  the  supply  of  mission- 
aries has  been  inadequate  for  winter  service,  and  the  work 
of  the  Church  has  accordingly  suffered.  Last  winter, 
seventeen  missions  were  without  supply,  and  several  more 
with  only  partial  supply.  This  spring,  after  all  the  men 
available  for  Western  work  were  selected,  there  were  still 
fourteen  vacancies.  Subsequently,  eight  of  those  ap- 
pointed declined  to  serve  in  the  West,  bringing  the 
vacancies  up  to  twenty-two.  By  getting  men  from  Britain 
and  the  United  States,  by  appointing  graduates  of  the 
Bible  Training  School  in  Toronto,  and  through  the  efforts 
of  a  few  gentlemen  who  have  the  interests  of  the  West  at 
heart,  a  number  of  these  vacancies  have  been  filled,  but 
eleven  missions  at  this  moment  stand  vacant.  This  lack 
of  supply  has  done  great  harm  in  the  West  already  ;  it 
has  inflicted  severe,  irreparable  losses  on  the  Church  in 
Northern  Ontario,  and  should  be  remedied.  The  supply 
of  men  in  the  Church  seems  ample.  The  moment  a 
prominent  congregation  in  the  West  is  vacant,  letters 
pour  in  asking  for  a  hearing — many  of  them  from  men 
who  never  had  a  charge.  Were  the  General  Assembly  to 
require  all  graduates  to  labour  a  year  in  the  mission  field 
before  settling,  great  relief  would  come  to  Home  Mission 
work.  And  if,  while  engineering,  law,  and  medical 
students  are  salted  with  heavy  fees,  the  Church  exacts  no 
fees  from  the  theological  student,  surely  it  is  a  small  thing 
that  they  give  one  year's  service  to  advance  her  work,  es- 
pecially when  they  are  liberally  remunerated.  And  if  not, 
why  should  the  students  not  pay  for  their  own  education  f  " 


268       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

Eleven  fields  unmanned  meant  between  thirty  and  forty 
preaching  stations  uusupplied,  and  this,  to  the  Superin- 
tendent, seemed  well-nigh  intolerable.  In  that  year  over- 
tures from  the  Presbytery  of  Algoina  and  the  Synod  of 
British  Columbia,  with  a  strong  resolution  from  the 
Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee,  were  presented 
to  the  Assembly,  asking,  among  other  things,  that  the 
course  in  theology  should  be  extended  from  three  to  four 
years,  the  last  year  to  be  spent  in  a  mission  field.  The 
overture  was,  as  usual,  debated  at  great  length,  referred 
to  a  Committee,  killed  and  decently  buried  beneath  what 
proved  to  be  a  perfectly  futile  resolution,  the  truth 
being  that  the  General  Assembly  knew  full  well  that 
the  democratic  spirit  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  now 
and  then  runs,  to  seed  to  the  utter  subversion  of  all  dis- 
cipline, and  that  in  consequence  it  was  impossible  to 
enforce  any  such  regulation  as  that  desired  by  the  over- 
ture. 


XXVII 

HANDLING  HIS  MEN 

IT  was  hardly  to  be  expected  that  the  Superintendent 
could  escape  criticism  of  his  method  of  handling 
his  men.  To  him  the  work  was  ever  first,  before  all 
else,  and  he,  therefore,  demanded  and  expected  from  his 
men  loyalty,  sincere  and  complete.  And  this,  as  a  rule, 
he  received.  Occasionally,  however,  it  was  his  misfor- 
tune to  find  among  the  ranks  of  his  workers  the  lazy,  the 
shiftless,  the  selfish,  the  unfaithful,  and  with  these 
he  was  relentlessly  severe.  A  minister  repeats  with 
great  delight  a  story  he  once  heard  from  the  Superin- 
tendent : 

"  I  remember  him  telling  me  of  a  student  whose  zeal 
was  less  than  his  indolence.  He  was  in  charge  of  a  mis- 
sion somewhere  near  Eegina,  and  lived  in  rooms  which 
were  attached  to  the  church.  Dr.  Eobertson  drove  over 
one  morning,  knowing  that  he  was  due  to  preach  in  an 
outlying  station  ten  miles  away  at  eleven  o'clock. 

"  'I  knocked  at  the  outer  door  at  ten  o> clock,  sir,  and 
when  I  got  no  answer  I  concluded  that  he  had  started  on 
his  journey.  However,  I  opened  the  door  and  walked  in. 
I  went  upstairs  and  rapped  on  the  door  of  his  bedroom. 
I  heard  a  sleepy  voice  say,  "  Come  in,"  and  I  opened  the 
door  and  found  him  yet  in  bed.  He  preached  that  morn- 
ing without  his  breakfast,  sir.7  " 

A  lazy  minister  or  missionary,  and  he,  alas,  is  not 
altogether  a  rara  avis,  drew  his  unmeasured  contempt. 
Writing  to  a  Western  Convener,  he  thus  discourses  in 
regard  to  ministers  of  this  class  : 

269 


270       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

"  I  fear  that  the  indifference  you  refer  to  in  ministerial 
ranks  is  not  confined  to  Kirk  wall  and  Strabane  j  I  meet 
it  widely,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  is  doing  more 
harm  than  the  Higher  Criticism.  Men  who  work  hard 
themselves  are  intolerant  of  idle  and  lazy  ministers. 
Men  appreciate  an  industrious,  hard-working  minister, 
and  they  despise  the  lazy  slouch.  But  how  are  you  to 
get  such  men  retired  t  They  will  not  resign,  they  cannot 
work,  to  beg  they  are  ashamed. " 

In  a  British  Columbia  mining  town  in  the  Boundary 
Country,  no  end  of  trouble  might  have  been  saved  had 
the  missionary  in  charge  been  simply  faithful  to  his 
duty.  As  it  was,  he  shirked,  to  the  permanent  injury 
of  the  congregation  and  of  the  cause  of  religion  in  that 
town.  The  Superintendent  visited  the  town  a  little  later. 
The  missionary  then  in  charge  tells  the  story  : 

"  A  year  before,  a  young  man  had  been  in  charge,  and 
had  been  exceedingly  popular.  All  agreed  that  if 
Blank  had  just  said  'build  a  church/  the  church  would 
have  been  built  with  little  trouble  and  no  strife.  Be- 
sides, the  town  was  then  in  its  most  prosperous  condi- 
tion. That  was  the  tide  in  the  affairs  that  was  missed. 
But  Blank  had  not  *  bothered/  Indeed,  Dr.  Eobertson 
had  heard  that  he  had  said  he  did  not  want  to  meddle 
with  money  matters.  How  the  Doctor  did  hold  this  up 
to  scorn  !  l  Didn't  want  to  meddle  with  money  matters  ! 
A  very  fine  sort  of  gentleman,  indeed !  None  of  your 
coarse-grained,  commercial  sort.  Didn't  want  to  meddle  ! 
He  was  too  downright  lazy.  That  is  what  was  the  matter 
with  him.  Popular  preacher  !  Liked  afternoon  teas, 
I  suppose.  Liked  the  ladies  to  tell  him  how  well  he  had 
preached  on  Sunday.  But  to  build  a  church  !  No,  he 
was  of  too  fine,  ethereal  material  to  meddle  with  such 
mundane  matters.  What  did  we  pay  him  for  anyway  ? 
What  did  we  send  him  here  for  ?  To  have  a  good  time  f 


HANDLING  HIS  MEN  271 

To  be  popular  ?  That's  not  the  kind  of  man  we  want  in 
these  mountains.7  ' 

And,  indeed,  it  added  not  a  little  to  the  Superintend- 
ent's burden  that  he  had  to  assume  the  load  too  often  that 
these  men  refused  to  bear.  While  he  was  full  of  en- 
couragement for  the  "  tenderfoot,"  he  had  little  sym- 
pathy with  a  shirker,  and  exerted  himself  to  develop 
in  his  men  that  indifference  to  discomfort,  toil,  and  even 
danger,  that  was  so  conspicuous  a  characteristic  of  him- 
self. 

"  Talking  with  a  whining  student  one  day,"  says  one 
of  his  Conveners,  "  who  was  relating  what  he  considered 
hardships  in  the  way  of  uncomfortable  beds  in  which 
there  were  crawling  things,  and  irregular  meals  not 
always  prepared  in  .the  most  tasty  form,  the  Superin- 
tendent began  very  sympathetically  telling  some  of  his 
own  experiences.  Sleeping  one  night  in  a  dug-out, 
wrapped  in  his  blanket  on  the  clay  floor  which  was 
several  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  he  felt  cold, 
clammy  things  on  his  neck  and  face.  He  would  brush 
them  off  and  turn  over,  and  by  the  time  he  was  getting 
off  to  sleep  again  there  would  be  another  visitation, 
and  so  he  kept  brushing  them  away  the  whole  night. 

"  l  And  what  were  these  things  f  '  asked  the  wondering 
student. 

"'Well,  you  see  the  floor  was  two  feet  below  the 
ground,  and  there  was  an  inclined  approach  cut  out 
towards  the  door.  The  ground  was  worn  away  several 
inches  lower  than  the  door,  and  the  lizards  would  fall 
over  the  edge  of  the  cutting  and  crawl  under  the  door, 
and  during  the  night  creep  over  the  floor.  And  these 
lizards  were  enjoying  a  warm  nest  on  my  neck  and  face.' 

(i  The  poor  student  stood  horrified.  The  Superintend- 
ent enthused  for  a  few  moments  on  lice  and  lizards  and 
snakes,  as  though  encounters  therewith  were  as  valuable 


272       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

as  theology  in  a  true  missionary's  education,  and  the 
complaining  dude  subsided.  His  hardships  vanished 
into  thin  air.  He  was  rebuked  and  shamed,  but  could 
not  reply,  and  the  conversation  drifted  to  other  themes." 

Writing  to  one  of  his  Western  Conveners,  he  descants 
thus  severely  upon  the  lack  of  heroism  in  some  of  the 
students  of  this  present  age  : 

"  This  afternoon,  without  giving  your  name,  I  told  the 
students  that  there  was  need  of  a  Professor  of  Ethics  in 
our  Theological  Colleges  to  teach  men  that  when  work 
was  not  done  pay  was  not  to  be  expected.  I  find  that  two 
or  three  men  that  shirked  work  and  were  not  paid,  have 
been  poisoning  the  minds  of  men  against  the  West. 
.  .  .  In  the  ordinary  student  of  to-day  there  is  a  good 
deal  of  poltroonery,  and  hence  cold  frightens  him  when 
any  Northwest  point  is  mentioned." 

Greatly  disturbed  over  the  failure  of  men  to  keep 
appointments,  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  C.  W.  Gordon,  who 
was  at  that  time  assisting  him  in  his  work,  one  day  as 
follows : 

"  Why  would  not  A go  to  Melita?  M would 

do  good  work  there,  but  he  seems  to  be  afraid  of  getting  too 
much  work  to  do.  His  grandmother,  mother,  aunt,  and 
the  whole  connection  were  particularly  severe  on  men 
broad  in  their  theology,  or  in  search  of  an  easy  berth — it 
would  be  a  pity  if  they  have  raised  an  over- fastidious 
man  under  their  own  roof.  But  try  him." 

,The  lash  of  sarcasm  once  fell  sharp  and  keen  upon  a 
student  whose  intellectual  indolence  and  a  certain  fatal 
facility  of  speech  led  him  to  suppose  that  no  serious  prep- 
aration was  necessary  for  his  sermons  on  the  Lord's  Day. 
It  was  after  a  meeting  of  a  British  Columbia  Presbytery, 
and  the  Superintendent  was  chatting  informally  with  a 
number  of  the  men,  that  methods  of  preparing  sermons 
came  up  for  discussion.  One  said  he  carefully  wrote  his 


HANDLING  HIS  MEN  273 

sermons  and  generally  read  them.  This  particular  student 
was  loud  in  his  condemnation  of  this  laborious  method, 
stating  that  he  never  read  his  sermons.  The  Superin- 
tendent looked  at  him  steadily  and  then  blandly  asked, 
"  Mr.  Blank,  do  you  ever  read  anything  I  "  The  student 
lapsed  into  silence  and  the  subject  was  speedily  changed. 

His  demand  for  absolute  devotion  wrought  in  him  a 
pity  not  unmingled  with  contempt  for  the  man  who  was 
determined  at  all  costs  to  enter  upon  the  married  state. 
With  the  Superintendent,  even  the  sacred  and  inalienable 
right  of  a  man  to  marry  was  held  to  be  hardly  a  sufficient 
justification  for  his  refusal  to  take  a  difficult  field 
demanding  the  service  of  an  unmarried  man.  With 
the  Apostle  Paul,  he  considered  the  present  distress  suf- 
ficiently severe  to  warrant  a  postponement  of  marriage. 

"  What  is  the  meaning,"  he  used  to  say,  "  of  this  un- 
seemly haste  on  the  part  of  our  graduates  to  be  married  f 
One  would  think  that  they  considered  the  ministry 
chiefly  as  a  stepping-stone  to  matrimony.  Can  they  not 
wait  a  year  or  two  I " 

A  young  minister  who  had  rendered  fine  service  in  the 
mission  field  and  was  now  the  pastor  of  a  settled  congre- 
gation, tells  the  following  story  : 

' '  When  he  had  made  several  remarks  which  seemed  to 
be  designedly  personal,  I  said  : 

1  i  i  Well,  Doctor,  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  for  you  to 
warn  me  against  that  mistake.  I  have  no  intention  of 
entering  the  married  state  in  the  near  future.  In  fact,  I 
have  no  one  in  view,  and  it  is  exceedingly  doubtful 
whether  or  not  I  shall  ever  marry. ' 

"  Immediately  on  hearing  this,  the  Doctor's  look  of  ab- 
straction vanished  ;  he  sat  upright  in  his  chair,  stretched 
out  his  hand  and  said  with  great  animation  : 

"  'Give  me  your  hand,  my  boy.  You  are  just  a  man 
after  my  own  heart.'  " 


274       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

This  young  minister  has  persisted  with  perhaps  un- 
necessary fidelity  in  the  path  of  celibacy. 

The  Superintendent  could  not  bear  with  anything  that 
savoured  of  indifference  to  the  claims  of  honour  on  the 
part  of  his  missionaries.  With  him,  an  appointment  ac- 
cepted carried  with  it  an  obligation  which  honour  de- 
manded should  be  fulfilled.  Too  often  students,  after  ac- 
cepting appointments,  would  calmly  write  announcing  a 
change  of  intention,  with  never  a  consideration  of  the  ef- 
fect of  such  change  upon  the  plans  of  the  Superintendent 
or  upon  the  interests  of  the  field.  Of  course,  this  made 
confusion  and  carried  disappointment  to  all  concerned. 
In  reference  to  a  case  of  apparently  aggravated  selfish- 
ness, the  Superintendent  writes  thus  vigorously  to  one  of 
his  Conveners : 

"I  have  read  Mr.  M 's  letter,  and  I  think  it  could 

only  have  been  written  by  a  man  half  out  of  his  head. 
If  he  is  not  satisfied,  and  will  not  be  satisfied  till  he  gets 
to  the  Coast,  then  he  can  go  and  stay  there  at  his  own  ex- 
pense. The  Home  Mission  Fund  is  not  in  existence  to 
gratify  whims  on  the  part  of  unreasonable  men.  The 
missions  on  the  Coast  are  not  such  as  he  can  supply,  and 
we  must  be  judges  in  such  cases.  He  says  he  has  claims. 
What  are  they  t  For  that  matter,  no  one  has  claims.  He 
would  not  do  at  Penman,  for  he  would  have  miles  and  miles 
to  row,  and  sometimes  in  a  rough  sea.  He  would  not  do 
at  Northfield,  for  he  would  have  a  drive  of  eighteen  miles 
out  to  Englishman's  Eiver.  At  Cooke,  we  have  Lloyd 
whose  home  is  on  the  Coast,  and  his  appointment  saved 
us  travelling  expenses.  Fender  would  give  him  constant 
rowing,  and  this  he  could  not  do.  Mt.  Lehman  and 
Surrey  require  driving  amidst  roads  almost  impassable  for 
four  months.  Mission  is  supplied  by  Thomson  whose  re- 
tention there  saves  travelling  expenses.  Mr.  M was 

placed  at  Swift  Current  because  trains  passed  there  in  the 


HANDLING  HIS  MEN  275 

daytime.  Were  he  at  Gleichen,  Sicamous,  or  Ashcroft, 
he  would  have  night  trains  all  the  time.  This  was  what 
he  wanted  to  avoid.  He  wanted  a  mission  where  there 
was  no  driving — he  could  not  stand  the  exposure.  This 
we  gave  him. 

"  I  write  you  in  this  way  that  you  may  know  the 
situation.  This  man  wants  the  moon,  and  will  not  be 
satisfied  unless  you  give  it  to  him.  I  do  not  think  he 
will  do  in  Banff.  Copeland  writes  me  he  did  not  do  well 
at  Saskatoon,  and  that  his  money  cannot  be  collected." 

As  the  work  grew,  this  breaking  of  faith  on  the  part  of 
missionaries  began  to  embarrass  so  seriously,  not  only  the 
Superintendent,  but  the  Conveners  in  the  various  Presby- 
teries as  well,  that  the  matter  became  the  subject  of  the 
following  overture  to  the  General  Assembly  by  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Minnedosa,  through  the  Synod  of  Manitoba  and 
the  Northwest  Territories  : 

1.  Whereas  ministers  and  missionaries  have  made 
application  to  the  Home  Mission  Committee  for  work, 
received  regular  appointments  to  fields  within  the  bounds 
of  Minnedosa  Presbytery,  and  have  accepted  the  same 
and  have  in  several  instances  failed  to  fill  the  appoint- 
ments; 

2.  Whereas  such  failures  have  embarrassed  the  Ex- 
ecutive of  the  Presbytery  and  created  friction  between 
said  Executive  and  the  field  to  which  they  have  been  ap- 
pointed ; 

3.  Whereas  the  work  of  the  Church  in  important  fields 
has  been  seriously  retarded  and  the  cause  of  Christ  in- 
jured by  such  failures,  and 

4.  Whereas  such  disappointments  tend  to  weaken  the 
faith  of  our  people  in  the  general  integrity  of  our  minis- 
ters and  missionaries,  and  the  vexed  delays  in  supply 
which  inevitably  follow,  together  with  the  consequent 
suspense  and  uncertainty  of  future  supply,  rapidly  des- 


276       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

troys  the  confidence  of  our  people  in  the  system  of  supply, 
and  is  leading  to  unrest  and  dissatisfaction  with  the 
general  polity  of  our  Church  ; 

Therefore,  the  Presbytery  of  Minnedosa  humbly  over- 
tureth,  etc. 

The  overture  was  transmitted  to  the  General  Assembly 
simpliciter  and  by  the  General  Assembly  was  referred  to 
the  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee,  and  there  dis- 
appeared from  view.  It  is  an  index  of  the  difficulty  of 
administration  often  experienced  by  the  Superintendent, 
that  the  Synod  refused  to  express  approval  of  the  over- 
ture, but  transmitted  it  to  the  Assembly  simpliciter. 

Occasionally  the  Presbytery  of  Winnipeg,  as  the  gate- 
way Presbytery  and  the  Presbytery  most  easily  convened, 
would  be  asked  to  ordain  a  man  en  route  to  a  Western 
field.  Sometimes  the  Presbytery,  for  one  reason  and  an- 
other, demurred.  After  one  such  refusal  the  Superin- 
tendent writes  to  a  Western  Presbytery  as  follows  : 

1  i  The  Presbytery  of  Winnipeg  is  too  large — its  men 
are — for  so  small  a  matter  as  the  ordination  of  a  minister. 
An  elephant  has  a  trunk  to  pick  up  small  things ;  the 
metropolitan  Presbytery  was  made  without  a  trunk. 

Ordain  S yourselves.  It  is  well  that  efficiency  does 

not  depend  on  ordination. " 

But  he  never  sulked,  nor  cherished  any  feeling  of  bit- 
terness. The  work  was  too  great  to  permit  of  anything 
paltry  in  spirit  or  in  policy.  Nor  was  he  ever  known  to 
cherish  any  feeling  of  bitterness  even  against  a  student, 
no  matter  how  grievously  he  had  disappointed  him.  He 
was  ever  ready  to  give  a  man  his  second  chance.  This 
spirit  is  shown  in  a  marked  degree  in  a  case  which 
caused  very  considerable  trouble  at  the  time.  A  student 
employed  in  the  Presbytery  of  Calgary,  left  his  field 
without  leave  from  his  Convener,  and  was,  in  conse- 
quence, refused  his  Presbyterial  certificate  to  college. 


HANDLING  HIS  MEN  277 

The  young  man  betook  himself  to  an  American  college, 
and,  returning  the  year  following,  applied  to  the  Assem- 
bly to  have  his  year  allowed.  The  Assembly  granted  his 
request,  and  the  young  man  was  joyfully  proceeding  on 
his  way.  But  his  Convener  was  a  man  not  to  be  trifled 
with,  and  he  promptly  entered  a  caveat.  The  young 
man's  course  was  blocked,  and  so  continued  until,  upon 
recommendation  of  his  Presbytery,  the  caveat  was  with- 
drawn. The  Superintendent  writes  as  follows  to  his 
Convener  about  the  matter  : 

"  Enclosed  please  find  the  extract  minute  of  the  Pres- 
bytery bearing  on  the  Blank  case.  It  was  sent  me  by  him, 
with  the  simple  request  that  I  give  my  approval.  The 
Clerk  wrote  me  saying  he  thought  Blank  had  been  suffi- 
ciently punished,  and  that  if  you  and  I  saw  fit  to  release 
him  it  would  be  well.  The  correspondence  with  the 
Presbytery  I  have  not  seen,  but  judge  in  part  what  it  was 
by  this  resolution.  Nor  am  I  sure  it  was  quite  straight- 
forward. I  fear  Mr.  Blank  suffers  from  'lubricity  of 
memory J  occasionally.  However,  this  may  be  a  lesson 
to  him  for  a  long  time,  and  it  may  be  better  to  err  on  the 
side  of  mercy  than  to  hold  the  balance  rigidly  for  justice. 
However,  write  me  and  let  me  know  your  mind.  I  told 
Blank  I  was  sending  the  extract  to  you  and  that  I  would 
write  results  later." 

A  second  letter  closes  the  incident : 

"  Yours  of  14th  January  was  duly  received  here  to-day, 
and,  as  you  know,  I  entirely  agree  with  your  '  sizing  up ' 
of  Mr.  Blank.  Taking  a  conjunct  view  of  the  whole, 
however,  it  is  as  well  perhaps  to  err  on  the  side  of  mercy. 
I  am  more  and  more  impressed,  however,  with  the  lax- 
ness  of  some  of  our  young  men,  and  such  conduct,  if  perse- 
vered in,  will  do  much  harm.  Many  of  them  need  a  course 
in  Ethics  rather  than  in  Theology.7' 

The  financial  arrangement  under  which  missionaries 


278       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

were  employed,  was  often  the  cause  of  misunderstanding 
and  heartburning.  It  was  as  follows :  Upon  recom- 
mendation of  the  Presbytery's  Convener,  or  of  the  Super- 
intendent of  Missions,  the  financial  ability  of  the  field 
was  estimated  at  so  much  per  week,  the  balance  required 
to  bring  up  the  amount  to  full  salary  was  guaranteed  by 
the  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee.  It  was  part 
of  the  duty  of  the  missionary  in  charge  to  see  that 
the  field  implemented  its  part  of  the  bargain,  and, 
indeed,  that  it  did  its  full  share  in  the  support  of  ordi- 
nances. 

Not  infrequently  men  were  found  who  cherished  griev- 
ances against  the  Superintendent,  the  Convener,  and,  in- 
deed, the  whole  Western  work,  because  of  the  failure  on 
the  part  of  fields  to  pay  the  full  amount  pledged.  In 
many  cases  these  men  were  discovered  to  be  those  who 
had  failed,  through  ignorance  or  carelessness  or  inca- 
pacity, to  attend  with  proper  diligence  to  the  financial 
side  of  their  work,  and  hence  left  their  fields  with  their 
salaries  in  arrears.  These  excited  in  no  slight  degree  the 
wrath  of  the  Superintendent.  Upon  this  subject  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  a  letter  gives  us  his  mind  : 

"Complaints  as  to  treatment  are  so  common  that  one 
scarcely  knows  what  to  say  j  and  they  are  more  common 
in  other  Churches,  and  rest  on  a  better  foundation  than 
in  ours.  We  had  a  meeting  here  with  the  students  last 
week,  when  grievances  were  ventilated,  and  the  matter 
of  deficits  and  arrears  discussed.  I  frankly  told  the  men 
that  there  was  another  side,  and  gave  instance  after  in- 
stance where  men  complained  where  there  was  no  room, 
because  presents  made  to  students  amounted  to  more  than 
the  deficit.  Frequently  men  do  not  discharge  their  whole 
duty  and  people  refuse  to  pay,  of  which  instances  were 
given ;  men  are  not  acceptable,  have  not  the  conditions  of 
acceptable  service  in  them,  and  such  men  are  apt  to  have 


HANDLING  HIS  MEN  279 

arrears.  If  in  every  case  these  are  to  be  paid,  then  we 
must  cease  to  employ  them.  Here  one  man  has  arrears 
every  half  year,  and  yet  has  a  grant  of  five  dollars  a 
week  ;  another  follows  him  and  has  no  arrears,  and  yet 
has  no  grant  at  all,  does  not  ask  any.  Should  the  Home 
Mission  Committee  pay  a  grant  of  five  dollars  arrears  and 
all?  I  doubt  it." 

The  meeting  referred  to  was  held  in  Manitoba  College 
and  was  the  climactic  result  of  accumulated  grievances  on 
the  score  of  arrears.  A  member  of  the  Home  Mission 
Committee  who  was  present  at  that  indignation  meeting, 
thus  describes  it : 

"  The  room  was  filled  with  men  hot  and  apparently 
thirsting  for  vengeance.  A  sympathetic  professor  occu- 
pied the  chair.  It  looked  like  a  bad  half  hour  for  the 
Superintendent.  The  sympathetic  professor  stated  the 
reasons  for  calling  the  meeting— a  growing  feeling  of 
dissatisfaction  with  the  methods  of  administration  of 
Home  Mission  work.  Many  students  had  suffered 
financially,  some  so  seriously  as  to  be  prevented  from 
continuing  their  college  course.  There  was  a  strong 
feeling  that  something  ought  to  be  done.  The  Superin- 
tendent was  listening  eagerly. 

"'  That's  right,'  he  said  shortly,  when  the  professor 
had  finished.  '  Now  let  us  hear  the  facts.  > 

"The  facts  were  slow  in  coming.  At  length  up  rose 
a  student,  modest,  with  the  reputation  as  a  hard  worker. 
Hesitatingly  he  stated  his  case.  His  field  had  been  un- 
able to  pay  the  amount  estimated,  and  he  was  the  suf- 
ferer to  the  extent  of  $60.  He  would  not  have  spoken, 
but  from  a  sense  of  duty.  He  sat  down  amid  enthusi- 
astic applause.  Encouraged  by  the  applause,  student 
number  two  rose  and,  touching  somewhat  lightly  upon 
his  own  case,  launched  forth  a  statement  of  grievances 
in  general,  going  somewhat  fully  into  both  ancient  and 


280       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

recent  history.      Another    followed  and  then  another, 
telling  with  variations  the  same  story. 

aThe  case  looked  black  for  the  administration,  and 
now  came  the  defence.  All  waited  for  the  long-looked- 
for  opportunity  to  i  heckle '  the  Superintendent.  But 
the  opportunity  did  not  come  that  afternoon,  nor  ever, 
for  in  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  sentences  the  Superin- 
tendent had  them  on  the  defensive  by  enunciating  two 
principles.  First,  it  was  the  duty  of  the  missionary  to 
keep  his  Convener  informed  of  the  financial  condition 
of  his  field,  so  that  any  discrepancy  might  be  promptly 
attended  to.  Secondly,  the  supreme  end  of  the  Church 
in  conducting  Home  Mission  work  was  not  the  furnish- 
ing of  students  with  the  means  of  completing  their  college 
course.  That  part  was  purely  incidental.  Then  he  pro- 
ceeded to  elaborate  and  illustrate  his  first  principle. 
There  were  cases  of  real  hardship  ;  for  instance,  student 
number  one.  In  his  field  frost  had  cut  down  the  crop, 
there  was  no  money,  consequently,  the  field  was  unable 
to  pay  its  share.  The  student  was  too  modest  to  com- 
plain, though  he  should  have  reported.  'But  we  all 
know  Mr.  Blank.  He  should  have  made  a  claim  for 
special  consideration  ;  such  a  claim  would  have  been 
met.'  (Cheers.)  And  every  such  claim  would  be  met 
when  properly  presented.  (More  cheers.)  But  there 
were  other  students.  And  for  half  an  hour  he  held  up 
to  the  admiring  and  delighted  gaze  of  at  least  a  part  of 
his  audience,  a  series  of  pictures  of  men  who  had  left 
their  fields  with  salaries  in  arrears.  One  with  luxurious 
habits  had  bought  freely  grapes,  cigars,  etc.,  but  could 
not  pay  his  board  bill.  Another  was  too  spiritually 
minded  to  organize  a  Board  of  Management,  much  less 
suggest  a  subscription  list.  A  third  was  of  so  studious 
a  turn  of  mind  that  he  more  frequently  wore  out  the  seat 
of  his  trousers  than  the  soles  of  his  boots.  A  fourth  ex- 


HANDLING  HIS  MEN  281 

hausted  his  energies  in  attending  young  ladies  to  picnics, 
Sunday-school  and  other.  (Great  applause.)  A  fifth 
disgusted  his  congregation  with  slovenly  sermons,  conse- 
quently they  *  would  not  pay  for  slop.'  A  sixth  came 
away  with  a  large  present  in  his  pocket,  leaving  the 
Home  Mission  Committee  to  pay  arrears.  A  seventh — 
and  so  the  list  went  on,  gleaming  with  humour,  irony,  and 
now  and  then  with  flashing  indignation. 

"By  this  time  every  student  was  apparently  happy, 
those  with  real  grievances  satisfied  that  their  claims 
would  be  adjusted,  the  others  unwilling  to  classify 
themselves  in  that  terrible  list  of  incompetents.  But 
the  real  defence  of  the  administration  came  in  the 
elaboration  of  the  second  principle,  and  here  the  Super- 
intendent turned  himself  loose  on  the  theme  that  lay  so 
near  to  his  heart — the  necessity,  the  opportunity  for 
Home  Mission  work.  Statistics  in  regard  to  country 
and  Church,  stories  of  missionary  heroism  were  poured 
forth  with  marvellous  richness  of  colouring  and  detail. 

"The  close  was  a  word  of  warm  commendation  of  the 
missionaries  before  him  who  had  toiled  and  suffered  in 
the  work,  till  they  were  listening  with  shining  .eyes  and, 
I  have  no  doubt,  each  with  a  lump  in  his  throat.  Then 
they  gathered  round  him,  each  eager  to  get  that  quick, 
warm,  downward  grip  of  the  Superintendent's  hand. 
And  that  was  the  end  of  that  indignation  meeting." 

But  where  he  could  not  meet  his  missionaries  face  to 
face,  and  where  financial  grievances  were  complicated 
with  questions  of  rights  of  Presbytery  and  of  Presbyters, 
the  trouble  assumed  serious  proportions.  This  was  the 
case  with  the  Calgary  Presbytery.  The  fields  in  this 
Presbytery  consisted  chiefly  of  vast  reaches  of  sparsely- 
settled  ranching  country,  of  long  drawn  strips  of  railway 
lines,  and  of  a  few  sordid  and  drink-sodden  mining  camps. 
The  work  was  depressing  and  difncult,  the  financial 


282       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

returns  from  mission  fields  always  precarious  and  often 
meagre.  The  Home  Mission  grants,  therefore,  were 
always  large,  and  these  the  Committee  sought  steadily 
to  reduce.  Under  the  inspiration  of  a  visit  from  the 
Convener  or  Superintendent,  the  fields  would  promise 
liberal  support,  but  from  any  one  of  a  variety  of  causes, 
the  failure  of  crop  or  of  cattle  market,  the  shifting  of 
population,  the  inadaptability  of  the  missionary,  these 
promises  often  failed  of  fulfillment.  Whatever  the  cause, 
all  faults  were  laid  at  the  Superintendent's  door.  He 
was  the  scapegoat  for  all  offenders. 

An  appeal  for  relief  from  grievances  was  addressed  to 
the  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee  by  the  Presby- 
tery, to  deal  with  which  the  Home  Mission  Committee 
appointed  a  special  Committee,  with  Rev.  Dr.  Laing  as 
Convener.  The  finding  of  the  Committee  is  embodied 
in  the  report,  of  which  the  following  is  an  extract, 
transmitted  by  Dr.  Laing  to  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Herdman, 
Clerk  of  the  Presbytery  and  prince  of  Home  Mission 
Conveners  : 

"  It  is  evident  that  in  past  years  many  things  happened 
which  imposed  inconvenience  and  even  hardships  on  mis- 
sionaries. As,  however,  not  a  few  of  these  unhappy  oc- 
currences have  as  far  as  possible  been  rectified,  and  the 
parties  more  immediately  interested  seem  to  be  willing 
to  let  the  past  rest,  while  more  particularly  under  the 
new  arrangement  for  conducting  the  Synod's  business, 
every  effort  will  be  made  to  prevent  the  recurrence  of 
such  things,  the  General  Assembly's  Committee  does  not 
deem  it  necessary  to  make  further  reference  to  the  alleged 
grievances. 

"  As  to  the  remedies  suggested  by  the  Presbytery,  the 
Committee  carefully  considered  these  with  the  following 
result : 

"1.     They  cannot  approve  of  the  suggestion  that  the 


HANDLING  HIS  MEN  283 

whole  salary  of  missionaries  shall  be  guaranteed  by  the 
Assembly's  Committee. 

"  2.  They  think  that  any  reduction  in  grants  should  be 
arid  naturally  will  be  known  to  the  Presbytery,  and  that 
the  missionary  should  be  informed  of  the  change  ;  also, 
that  some  time  should  elapse  between  resolving  on  the 
change  and  giving  effect  to  it. 

* 1 3.  That  no  allowance  can  be  made  for  Sabbaths  dur- 
ing which  a  minister  is  absent  from  his  field  except  in 
cases  of  sickness  or  inability  to  fulfill  appointments. 

* 1 4.  That  not  only  should  Presbyteries  have  a  voice  in 
estimating  the  amounts  required  from  mission  fields  and 
congregations,  and  in  the  appointments  made  to  them, 
but  that  the  responsibility  in  these  matters  lies  primarily 
and  chiefly  on  Presbyteries. 

"5.  It  was  resolved  to  refer  to  a  small  sub-committee 
to  prepare  a  plan  for  meeting  travelling  expenses  from 
the  Eastern  Provinces  to  Winnipeg  ;  and  for  expenses 
from  Winnipeg  to  the  particular  field  of  labour,  for  which 
expenses  alone  the  Assembly's  Committee  shall  be  respon- 
sible. 

"6.  Also  it  was  resolved,  with  the  view  of  prevent- 
ing misunderstandings,  to  issue  to  every  missionary  ap- 
pointed by  the  Assembly's  Committee  a  commission,  stat- 
ing in  detail  all  the  particulars  connected  with  the  ap- 
pointment, and  showing  clearly  what  each  missionary 
may  expect,  without  reference  to  the  terms  of  the  appoint- 
ment of  any  other." 

Beading  between  the  lines,  it  is  not  hard  to  see  that  the 
causes  of  trouble  lay  in  the  system  rather  than  in  the  ad- 
ministration. In  reference  to  this,  which  was  at  the  time 
to  the  Superintendent  a  very  painful  episode,  and  all  the 
more  because  of  his  high  regard  for  some  of  those  actively 
engaged  in  pushing  this  appeal,  notably  the  Rev.  Angus 
Eobertson,  than  whom  the  Superintendent  had  no  more 


284       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

loyal  friend  in  after-years,  the  judgment  of  the  Rev.  J.  C. 
Herdman  will  be  illuminating  : 

' i  The  Presbytery  of  Calgary  was  formed  in  July,  1887. 
When  we  met  and  began  to  get  under  way  for  work,  we 
found  ourselves  almost  at  a  standstill  caused  by  the  un- 
pleasant fact  that  so  many  of  the  missionaries  of  the 
Presbytery  (good  men  they  were,  too)  had  grievances,  real 
and  alleged,  which  Dr.  Robertson  was  supposed  to  be,  or 
was  counted  to  be,  responsible  for.  Actually  then,  the 
first  year  of  our  life  as  a  Presbytery  had  to  go  to  getting 
together  a  string  of  difficulties  and  disabilities  and  set- 
ting them  at  length  before  the  Assembly's  Home  Mission 
Committee.  I  was  clerk  of  Presbytery  at  the  time.  I 
remember  that  many  i  grievances  '  disappeared  at  the  tell- 
ing, but  yet  a  number  remained  and  had  to  be  taken  up 
seriously.  The  final  answer  to  all  the  counts  is  given  in 
Dr.  Laing's  communication.  One  or  two  individual 
cases  of  hardship  were  dealt  with,  in  a  reassuring  way, 
outside  this  communication.  On  the  whole,  though  the 
grievance  list  began  somewhat  pointedly  in  the  use  of  the 
Superintendent's  name,  the  progress  of  negotiations 
showed  increasingly  that  whatever  grievances  had  existed 
were  grievances  against  the  conditions,  and  to  a  certain 
extent  against  the  system  of  work,  nowise  against  the 
man  who  was  in  the  first  instance  held  responsible.  Of 
the  missionaries  then,  in  this  Presbytery,  who  were  most 
insistent  and  vehement  in  their  denunciations,  one  soon 
after  became  the  most  devoted  friend  and  admirer  of  the 
Superintendent,  and  the  other  greatly  modified  the  asper- 
sions in  which  he  had  at  first  abounded." 

It  is  pleasant  to  think  that,  for  the  last  decade  of  his 
life,  the  voice  of  criticism  was  never  heard  from  those  who 
wrought  under  him  or  in  cooperation  with  him  in  the 
Western  field.  Mistakes  might  be  made,  and  as  the  bur- 
dens of  the  ever-growing  work  accumulated  upon  his 


HANDLING  HIS  MEN  285 

shoulders  mistakes  were  made,  but  by  that  time  men  had 
learned  to  know  and  appreciate  the  single-hearted  devo- 
tion and  the  sheer  greatness  of  the  man  who  was  paying 
out  his  life  to  his  cause. 


XXVIII 

CARING  FOR  HIS  MEN 

IF  the  Superintendent  worked  his  men  hard  and 
made  large  demands  upon  their  self-denial  and  their 
loyalty,  he  gave  them  in  return  all  he  had  of  that 
priceless  gift  of  sympathy  expressed  not  only  in  words, 
but  in  deeds  as  well.  Many  a  man  in  financial  straits  ap- 
plied to  the  Superintendent  for  advice,  and  not  only  did 
he  receive  advice,  but  also  that  financial  aid  he  was  too 
sore  at  heart  or  too  proud  to  ask.  None  knew  better  than 
the  Superintendent  the  severity  of  the  trial  imposed  upon 
the  missionary,  and  more  upon  the  missionary's  wife,  by 
poverty.  And  none  was  quicker  in  sympathy  and 
readier  to  help  with  a  loan,  to  tide  over  a  period  of  em- 
barrassment. And  it  is  only  just  to  say  that  where  there 
was  an  honest  attempt  at  repayment,  the  Superintendent 
was  never  known  to  humiliate  his  debtor  by  pressing  for 
payment.  But  where  there  was  neither  attempt  to  meet 
the  debt  nor  any  sense  of  obligation  apparent,  as  was  too 
frequently  the  case,  the  Superintendent's  sense  of  honour 
was  offended  and  his  righteous  wrath  would  burn.  He 
considered  it  an  injury  to  the  honour  of  the  Church  that 
a  missionary  should  be  careless  of  his  financial  obliga- 
tions. In  this  regard  he  writes  to  a  Western  Convener  as 
follows : 

"Mr.  Blank  wrote  me  about  the  balance  in  your  hands 
coming  to  me.  He  seems  to  be  in  straits,  so  I  allow  you 
to  remit  him  the  amount,  but  when  the  twenty -five  per 
cent,  is  sent  you  from  the  Committee,  I  want  you  to  retain 
that  for  me.  It  is  to  me  clear  that  unless  Blank  finances 

286 


CARING  FOR  HIS  MEN  287 

differently  and  better,  lie  is  soon  to  get  hopelessly  in- 
volved, and  in  such  a  case  his  connection  with  us  cannot 
continue.  Please  govern  yourself  accordingly. " 

Apparently  Mr.  Blank,  however,  was  able  to  work  upon 
the  sympathies  of  the  Superintendent,  for  a  little  later  he 
writes  to  the  same  Convener  in  this  way  : 

"  I  was  sorry  to  learn  of  Mr.  Blank's  difficulties,  but 
have  no  idea  that  his  past  will  in  any  way  be  a  lesson  to 
him.  Those  who  know  him  and  his  family  should  never 
have  advocated  his  ordination.  When  once  ordained,  he 
seems  to  have  thought  that  he  was  to  get  a  certain  salary, 
and  up  to  and  beyond  this  figure  he  pitched  the  scale  of 
his  living,  and  when  the  part  of  the  salary  promised  by 
the  people  was  not  paid,  he  fell  into  arrears.  There  is 
no  use  trying  to  keep  him  up  at  the  present  rate.  My 
idea  was  to  get  half  of  mine  now  and  half  next  spring, 
but  this  now  seems  impracticable.  I  must,  however,  have 
part  now,  for  I  have  obligations  to  meet,  and  must  leave 
it  with  you  to  do  your  best  in  the  circumstances.  He 
begged  me  not  to  ask  anything  at  present,  but  I  could  not 
afford  this,  as  at  least  a  dozen  men  are  in  my  debt  and  all 
are  asking  favours.  I  question,  in  the  light  of  my  ex- 
perience, whether  in  every  case  it  would  not  be  better  to 
let  every  man  manage  his  own  finances  and  learn  from 
the  outset  how  to  square  his  outlay  with  his  income.  Do 
not  let  any  of  them  get  you  involved.  Keep  your  hands 
off  other  people's  paper,  if  you  would  escape  being 
scorched." 

A  very  wise  advice,  indeed,  but  one  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult to  follow,  especially  by  a  man  occupying  a  high  po- 
sition in  the  Church.  We  are  glad  to  learn  from  the 
following  letter  that  Mr.  Blank  made  an  attempt  to  meet 
his  obligations : 

"  Yours  enclosing  check  for  fifty-eight  dollars  in  part 
payment  of  loan  to  Blank.  I  am  willing  to  wait  till 


288       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

spring  for  balance,  but  see  he  does  not  wheedle  you  out 
of  it — I  could  not  trust  myself  when  he  begins  to  tell  his 
story — as  I  cannot  afford  to  lose  this  money.  I  am  sorry 
for  him,  but  yet  his  foolish  ways  are  at  the  bottom  of  the 
whole  trouble." 

And  these  "  foolish  ways"  are  responsible,  not  only  for 
much  misery  to  those  immediately  concerned,  but  to  all 
who  seek  in  any  way  to  assist  them.  Yet  it  is  because  of 
these  "  foolish  ways  "  of  foolish  men  that  wiser  men  must 
bear  their  burdens.  But  whether  the  Superintendent 
chose  the  wisest  plan  is  open  to  question.  Perhaps  he 
did,  for  though  his  method  might  be  judged  by  many  to 
be  wholly  unbusinesslike  and  his  benevolence  to  be  wholly 
misplaced,  it  may  be  that  in  the  long  run  his  folly  proved 
the  highest  wisdom.  There  is  evidence  still  in  existence 
that  by  reason  of  these  advances  the  Superintendent  was 
financially  the  poorer  by  many  thousands  of  dollars.  But 
it  is  safe  to  say  that  he  had  compensations  which  could 
not  be  estimated  in  the  money  market. 

Before  the  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee  the 
Superintendent  invariably  stood  forth  as  the  champion 
of  the  West  and  of  the  Western  missionary.  Not  un- 
frequently  strict  justice  and  sound  business  principle 
were  upon  the  side  of  the  Committee  who  were  acting  as 
trustees  for  Church  funds.  The  Superintendent's  appeal 
in  such  cases  was  based  upon  the  quality  of  mercy  and 
that  wider  justice  in  which  the  element  of  humanity  and 
the  claims  of  a  common  brotherhood  have  large  place. 

The  late  Superintendent  of  Missions  for  North  Ontario, 
the  Rev.  A.  Findlay,  whose  wide  experience  in  matters 
of  this  kind  lends  weight  to  his  words,  gives  an  instance 
in  the  following  letter  : 

"How  long  ago  I  cannot  say,  nor  who  the  man  was, 
but  I  remember  the  incident  very  distinctly.  It  appeared 
that  the  Superintendent  had  sent  a  man  to  some  new 


CAKING  FOR  HIS  MEN  289 

point,  counting  on  certain  returns  from  the  field,  but  had 
been  disappointed.  There  was  due  the  missionary  some- 
where in  the  neighbourhood  of  $200,  for  which  the  Doctor 
asked  a  special  grant  of  the  above  sum.  It  was  discussed 
by  the  Committee  at  length.  A  vote  was  taken  on  the 
motion  '  that  inasmuch  as  he  had  not  consulted  the  Com- 
mittee in  the  matter,  it  be  not  granted/  I  can  see  the 
Doctor  yet,  his  tall  figure  towering  over  the  head  of  the 
Convener  as  he  explained  the  circumstances  to  the  breth- 
ren. When  the  decision  was  announced,  he  resumed  his 
seat  with  the  remark  : 

"'That  is  an  honest  debt.  I  promised  him  that  he 
should  get  it,  and  he  shall.  I  will  pay  it  out  of  my  own 
pocket/ 

"Later  a  motion  to  reconsider  was  carried,  and  the 
amount  passed." 

This  failure  to  consult  the  Committee  was  a  sore  point 
with  the  brethren,  and  the  cause  of  many  a  severe  criti- 
cism of  their  Superintendent,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  He 
was  far  from  headquarters,  the  necessity  for  prompt  ac- 
tion was  imperative,  hence  the  Superintendent  acted  and 
explained  afterwards  to  the  Committee,  to  their  amuse- 
ment or  to  their  fury.  Finally  they  surrendered.  The 
Superintendent  could  not  be  "  regulated.'7 

There  were  two  passions  at  work  in  his  heart,  the  pas- 
sion of  sympathy — and  a  passion  it  was — for  the  hard- 
worked  and  poverty-stricken  missionary,  and  the  passion 
to  guard  his  own  honour  and  that  of  his  Church.  He 
was  ever  ready  to  show  his  personal  interest  in  the  work 
of  his  missionaries,  and  his  delight  in  its  progress  by  a 
contribution  to  that  work.  To  a  hard-working  missionary 
in  Manitoba,  famous  as  a  builder  of  churches,  he  writes 
as  follows : 

"Please  find  enclosed  check  for  fifty  dollars,  being 
twenty-five  dollars  contribution  towards  the  Building 


290       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Fund  of  the  church  at  Arden,  and  twenty-five  dollars  of  an 
advance  on  salary.  I  wish  very  much  I  could  have  made 
your  Building  Fund  a  larger  contribution,  but  I  have 
more  claims  than  usual  this  year. 

"Wishing  you  every  success  in  your  work,  and  ex- 
pressing my  high  appreciation  of  the  spirit  shown  by  you 
and  work  done  as  a  contribution  to  the  Church." 

A  missionary  striving  to  give  u  visibility  "  to  the  cause 
in  a  British  Columbia  town,  thus  writes  : 

"I  sent  him  an  account  of  the  progress  we  were  making 
towards  building  the  church  at  Cascade.  We  had  sub- 
scriptions for  twenty  dollars,  ten  dollars,  and  so  on  down. 
Shortly  afterwards  I  received  a  letter  from  him  express- 
ing his  great  pleasure  in  hearing  of  the  work  at  Cascade, 
and  adding,  '  Put  my  name  down  on  your  twenty  dollar 
list.7  I  told  him  when  I  saw  him  later,  that  it  was  with 
no  thought  of  his  contributing  that  I  had  sent  him  the 
account. 

"  '  I  know  it.  I  know  it,'  he  answered.  '  But  it  does 
me  good  to  encourage  the  people  and  the  missionary,  and 
it  will  do  the  people  good  to  find  that  there  are  others 
beside  themselves  interested  in  their  welfare.7  " 

Upon  another  occasion  he  wrote  a  missionary  who  had 
passed  through  an  unhappy  squabble  with  a  sister  de- 
nomination in  the  matter  of  a  union  church,  in  which 
squabble  the  Presbyterians  had  come  off,  as  was  usually 
the  case,  second-best,  as  follows  : 

"But  are  his  people  willing  to  carry  out  Mr.  H >s 

dishonourable  policy  in  the  matter  of  services?  The 
building  was  said  to  be  a  union  building,  and  all  were  to 
share  alike  in  it  till  they  got  places  of  worship  of  their 
own.  Will  he  not  concede  something  on  that  score? 
Were  I  in  your  place,  however,  I  would  arrange  to  put 
up  a  shell  of  a  church,  the  people  giving  as  much  as 
possible,  and  the  Church  and  Manse  Board  loaning  you 


CARING  FOR  HIS  MEN  291 

say  $500.  Why,  with  that  and  what  your  people  could 
do,  should  you  not  be  able  to  erect  a  building  without 
plaster  and  without  seats,  but  suitable  for  service?  For 
such  a  building  I  would  try  to  send  you  fifty  dollars  my- 
self. I  shall  try  to  visit  you  in  September,  but  go  on 
now  if  you  can.  I  shall  write  the  Board  to  help  you." 

But  far  more  than  any  financial  help  could  be  to  his 
men,  was  the  sympathetic  understanding  of  all  their  trials 
and  their  needs.  His  visit  to  a  missionary  always  brought 
inspiration  and  fresh  courage. 

On  one  occasion  it  was  the  writer's  great  privilege  to 
accompany  the  Superintendent  on  a  missionary  tour 
throughout  Alberta  and  British  Columbia.  The  visit  to 
Lethbridge,  Alberta,  then  in  charge  of  the  Rev.  Charles 
McKillop,  a  man  whose  heroic  service  and  whose  personal 
worth  will  ever  be  remembered  with  pride  and  affection 
by  those  who  knew  him,  was  thus  recorded  at  the  time : 

11  Between  two  and  three  in  the  morning  we  were  mak- 
ing our  way  to  the  manse,  piloted  by  the  minister,  I  ready 
to  drop  at  every  step,  but  the  chief  apparently  good  for 
an  all-night  walk.  We  spent  next  forenoon  in  the  study, 
talking  about  Lethbridge,  its  prospects,  its  depressions ; 
the  church,  its  standing  financially  and  spiritually ;  the 
country  about,  the  morals  of  the  community,  temperance, 
Sabbath  observance,  the  Mormon  settlement  not  far 
away,  the  state  of  the  work  there,  etc.  At  first  I 
thought  we  were  only  having  a  friendly  chat,  but  I  soon 
perceived  that  the  Superintendent  was  doing  his  work, 
and  before  the  chat  was  over  he  had  got  full  knowledge 
of  the  congregation  and  its  work,  its  strength  and  its 
weakness,  its  successes  and  its  failures  ;  he  had  got  the 
minister's  judgment  upon  the  prospects  of  the  country, 
with  the  facts  upon  which  the  judgment  was  based ;  in 
short,  he  had  mastered  the  subject  of  Lethbridge.  Dur- 
ing this  conversation  he  had  been  giving  his  opinion, 


292       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

too,  on  many  points,  suggesting  methods  of  work,  point- 
ing out  defects,  emphasizing  the  extreme  importance  of 
maintaining  a  high  standard  in  our  Western  Church,  and 
all  in  such  a  way  that  the  minister,  instead  of  feeling  as 
if  he  were  being  catechized,  felt  that  he  was  having 
a  fine  time,  as,  indeed,  he  was,  and  that  Dr.  Robertson 
could  spin  a  first-class  yarn,  which  also  was  perfectly 
true.  Next  morning,  however,  when  we  bade  farewell 
to  Lethbridge,  he  left  the  minister  and  the  minister's 
wife  in  braver  heart  for  their  work,  and  that  is  much." 

It  was  a  continual  source  of  wonder  to  his  co-labourers 
in  the  work  how,  by  the  touch  of  his  personality,  he 
could  lift  a  man  out  of  discouragement  and  defeat  into 
hope  and  determination  to  win  at  all  costs. 

"I  shall  never  forget, "  writes  one  of  his  fellow- 
labourers,  "  the  new  view  I  had  of  our  Superintendent 
one  night  as  he  sat  in  a  dreary  little  room  of  a  Western 
hotel,  trying  to  brace  up  a  young  missionary  on  his  first 
visit  to  the  wild  West.  It  was  immediately  after  the 
meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Regina.  The  young  man  had 
sat  through  the  Synod,  more  and  more  impressed  every 
hour  with  the  snap  and  swing  of  its  procedure.  The 
wide  outlook,  the  far-reaching  plans,  the  calm  courage 
with  which  these  men  of  the  West  assumed  their  respon- 
sibilities, the  absence  of  pettiness  and  especially  of  per- 
sonal considerations,  had  stirred  the  young  man's  blood. 
He  was  ready  for  anything  heroic.  But  he  had  been 
billed  for  Nelson,  British  Columbia,  and  was  en  route 
to  his  field.  On  the  way  up,  a  British  Columbia  man 
had  been  filling  him  up  with  ghastly  stories  about  Nelson's 
wickedness  and  Nelson's  depravity,  and  had  ended  up 
his  tale  by  assuring  the  prospective  missionary  that  the 
town  was  dead,  too  dead  to  be  buried.  The  missionary 
was  hesitating  and  unwilling  to  go  forward  ;  not  because 
of  the  difficulties  and  terrors  of  the  town,  but  because  it 


CARING  FOR  HIS  MEN  293 

was  dead.  He  had  only  one  life  and  he  was  unwilling  to 
waste  it  in  a  funeral  service.  He  had  in  his  hand  a  call 
from  a  Western  American  town  of  1,200  people,  with  no 
church  and  no  Christian  service,  offering  him  a  fine 
opportunity  and,  incidentally,  although  this  did  not 
weigh  much,  a  big  salary.  The  Superintendent  took 
him  in  hand  like  a  father.  He  had  had  a  fatiguing  day 
at  Synod,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  weariness  in  the  way 
he  went  at  that  young  man.  Patiently,  kindly,  earnestly, 
he  dealt  with  him,  showing  the  desperate  need  and  the 
splendid  opportunity  in  Nelson. 

"  '  Go  and  see/  he  said  finally.  '  Remember  you  have 
a  great  Church  behind  you,  and  if  in  six  months  you 
think  you  are  wasting  your  time,  we  will  take  you  out.7  " 

The  young  man  went,  and  the  story  of  the  work  done 
in  Nelson  by  Thomas  H.  Rogers,  the  first  missionary  to 
that  mining  town,  lives  still  with  the  old-timers  and  with 
all  his  co-presbyters.  In  six  months  he  came  to  his 
Presbytery  red  hot.  Abandon  Nelson  f  Never !  The 
very  least  that  would  satisfy  him  was  two  additional 
workers.  He  had  demanded  three.  Ten  years  after- 
wards this  missionary,  looking  back  through  a  mist,  not 
of  years  only,  but  of  tears  as  well,  for  his  chief  was  dead, 
speaks  in  this  way  : 

"Ten  years  vanished  like  a  morning  mist,  and  I  was 
standing  again  on  the  wharf  at  Robson,  B.  C.,  awaiting 
the  arrival  of  the  big  stern -wheeler  from  Revelstoke  with 
Dr.  Robertson  on  board.  I  had  come  over  from  the 
Kootenay  Valley  to  the  Columbia  to  meet  him.  How  it 
all  comes  back  again  !  I  can  even  hear  the  raucous  cry 
of  the  raven  from  the  spruce  and  cottonwoods.  across 
the  Columbia  hurrying  its  water  past  the  sloping  dock, 
and  a  French  Canadian  telling  somebody  to  ennui  that 
what  this  country  needs  is  development,  with  a  strong 
accent  on  the  first  syllable. 


294       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"All  at  once  the  chiming  steamboat  whistle  sounds 
and  the  Columbia  around  the  bend  is  heading  straight  for 
the  dock  as  if  she  would  like  to  devour  it.  She  is  twice 
her  usual  size,  but  that  is  because  Dr.  Robertson  is  on 
board.  There  he  stands,  a  striking  figure  in  any  com- 
pany, tall,  commanding,  the  only  form  I  saw  on  that 
deck.  Who  will  ever  forget  the  huge  black  planter  hat 
he  wore?  There  is  a  smile  and  two  or  three  satisfied 
nods  as  he  recognizes  me  standing  on  a  stanchion,  thrilled 
to  the  marrow  of  my  bones.  I  was  over  the  rail  with  my 
arm  around  him  in  short  order. 

"  'So  you  came  thirty  miles  out  to  meet  me/  he  soon 
got  time  to  say. 

"  '  If  you  knew  what  your  visit  down  here  means  to 
us,  you  would  not  be  surprised  at  that/  I  answered. 

"  l  How  is  Martin  ? 7  he  asked. 

"  l  He  is  well  and  on  the  crest  of  the  boom  as  usual,7  I 
was  glad  to  reply. 

"Rev.  D.  M.  Martin,  now  of  Cannington,  and  I  were 
the  only  Presbyterian  missionaries  south  of  the  main  line 
at  that  time  between  the  Okanagan  Valley  and  Leth- 
bridge.  Now  there  is  a  Presbytery. 

"  On  that  visit  the  Superintendent  mastered  every  de- 
tail of  the  Kootenay  work,  and  was  able  to  direct  its  de- 
velopment from  his  headquarters  in  closer  touch  with  his 
base  of  supplies. 

"In  Nelson  it  soon  became  known  that  a  great  man 
had  come,  and  a  crowded  church  faced  him  on  his  return 
from  the  north  end  of  the  field.  He  spoke  to  the  people 
of  the  country  and  the  country's  God.  He  gave  facts 
and  figures  relating  to  the  wealth  of  the  country,  which 
I  have  never  heard  gainsaid,  and  which  astounded  his 
hearers  there.  And  he  spoke  of  the  shame  of  sin  and 
disloyalty  to  our  nation's  God,  asking  significantly  if 
they  were  not  ashamed  of  the  huge  heaps  of  empty 


CARING  FOR  HIS  MEN  295 

bottles  which,  after  the  reduction  of  freight  rates,  were 
shipped  out  by  the  car-load.  Further,  he  praised  the 
missionary  to  the  people  before  his  very  face. 

"  'It's  worth  while  to  hear  a  man  like  that  talk  ;  he 
knows  something,'  was  the  comment  of  a  shrewd  lawyer 
on  the  sermon. 

"It  is  a  fact  that  he  declined  the  pleasure  of  a  half- 
day's  fishing,  the  very  best  in  America,  for  the  sake  of 
the  work.  This  means  much  to  any -man  who  knows 
how  to  coil  a  fifty-foot  line. 

"This  is  given  as  a  mere  sample  of  a  visit  from  Dr. 
Robertson,  and  I  feel  assured  that  from  that  date  the 
importance  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  bulked  larger 
than  ever  before  in  Nelson,  as,  in  fact,  it  must  wherever 
he  went." 

The  Superintemdent  had  a  quick  eye  for  the  man  who 
was  down,  but  still  striving  to  do  his  best.  To  his  fel- 
low missionaries  he  might  appear  a  failure,  to  himself  he 
certainly  did,  but  to  his  Superintendent  the  heroism  of 
his  losing  campaign  strongly  appealed.  The  following 
incident  is  told  by  a  co-Presbyter  of  a  discouraged  man  : 

"I  remember  one  case  of  a  missionary  who  had  not 
been  well  and  who  had  suffered  from  a  sort  of  chronic 
disability  that  at  times  completely  prostrated  him.  At  a 
meeting  of  Presbytery  he  was  overcome  going  to  the 
church,  and  fainted  on  the  street.  We  were  all  very 
sorry,  of  course,  but  did  not  show  the  practical  sympathy 
that  the  Doctor  did.  After  the  Presbytery  meeting  we 
were  all  going  home,  the  Doctor  and  I  to  Vancouver. 
This  minister  was  on  the  train,  and  was  to  get  off  at  a 
station  reached  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  This 
was  after  the  Doctor  had  been  so  ill  that  it  was  feared  he 
would  not  recover.  We  were  all  anxious  to  spare  him  as 
much  as  possible,  and  it  seemed  necessary  to  take  him  in 
hand  at  times  and  peremptorily  order  him  to  desist  from 


296       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

working,  so  that  he  could  take  needed  rest.  It  was  not 
customary  for  him  to  take  a  sleeping-car,  so  this  night, 
fearing  that  he  would  not,  I  exacted  a  promise  from  him 
before  I  retired,  to  do  so  when  he  finished  his  conversa- 
tion. Next  morning  when  I  met  the  Doctor,  I  knew  he 
had  not  been  in  bed.  I  at  once  reminded  him  of  his 
promise,  for  I  felt  guilty  in  having  left  him  the  night  be- 
fore. He  said : 

1 1  i  You  know  how  discouraged  Mr.  H was,  so  I 

waited  up  to  chat  with  him  until  he  left  the  train,  think- 
ing I  could  give  him  some  encouragement,  and  after  that 
it  was  not  worth  while  to  go  to  bed,  for  the  train  was  late, 
and  it  was  nearly  morning  when  he  left  me.7 

"  And  so  he  had  gone  without  a  night's  rest  for  the 
one  purpose  of  giving  cheer  to  a  missionary  who  was  dis- 
couraged. And  as  a  matter  of  fact,  that  man,  who  had 
failed  before  in  his  field,  now  succeeded  most  wonder- 
fully." 

A  man  saved  from  defeat  in  the  presence  of  his  enemies 
is  a  man  endowed  with  victory.  And  no  finer  bit  of  work 
did  the  Superintendent  do  for  his  Church  in  many  a  year, 
than  he  did  that  night. 

To  see  him  transacting  business,  to  note  his  shrewd 
common  sense,  his  demand  for  accuracy  in  detail,  one 
would  think  that  he  was  lacking  in  those  heart  qualities 
that  are  necessary  to  real  greatness.  But  whoever  read 
him  so,  read  him  superficially.  There  is  one  missionary 
in  the  West  to-day  who  can  scarcely  speak  of  the  Super- 
intendent without  tears,  for  there  comes  with  his  name 
the  memory  of  how,  in  the  hour  of  his  shame,  the  Super- 
intendent came  to  him,  lifted  him,  stood  beside  him,  and 
stood  for  him  till  he  was  fully  restored  to  his  place.  He 
is  now  an  honoured  minister  in  a  Western  Church,  and 
rendering  good  service.  And  this  is  how  he  writes  : 

"He  never  forsook  me.     When  friends  became  cold 


CARING  FOR  HIS  MEN  297 

and  many  former  acquaintances  refused  to  recognize  and 
speak  to  me,  he  stood  by  me.  When,  after  almost  total 
starvation  having  faced  me  and  mine,  I  got  a  situation, 
he  seemed  to  be  overjoyed.  He  took  up  my  case,  and  by 
his  effort  on  my  behalf  I  was  restored  to  the  ministry. 
No  sooner  was  this  done  than  he  wrote  me  to  prepare  to 
come  west  and  take  up  the  work. 

u  In  the  winter  of  '99  he  spent  two  days  with  us.  We 
were  proud  to  have  him  under  our  roof.  He  went  away 
and  I  never  saw  him  again,  but  his  influence  on  my  life 
will  never  leave  me." 

There  is  no  more  difficult  or  painful  duty  that  falls  to 
a  superior  officer,  than  to  tell  a  subordinate  that  he  is  un- 
fit and  has  failed.  And  it  is  only  the  truest  sense  of 
loyalty  to  the  trust  imposed  in  him  by  his  Church  that 
forced  the  Superintendent  now  and  then  to  tell  a  mis- 
sionary the  painful  truth  about  himself.  To  the  Con- 
vener of  a  missionary  of  this  kind  he  writes  as  follows  : 

"You  will  see  Mr.  Blank's  people  and  confer  with 
them  shortly,  but  neither  he  nor  they  need  expect  any  in- 
crease in  grant ;  rather  they  must  be  prepared  for  a  re- 
duction. The  Church  has  dealt  generously  with  him  and 
them  ;  he  has  done  more  to  make  himself  and  family  com- 
fortable since  he  joined  us  than  in  all  his  life  before,  ap- 
parently. His  present  home,  with  its  comforts,  has  come 
to  him  through  his  stay  with  us. .  And  that  he  is  able  to 
keep  his  children  in  town  is  the  best  proof  that  he  is 
fairly  well-cared- for.  Large  grants  to  stations  may  be 
made  at  the  start,  but  they  should  not  be  expected  to  con- 
tinue, the  extension  of  work  forbids  it.  ...  Keep 
your  eye  on  this.  It  is  not  easy  to  move  a  man  with  such 
a  large  family,  but  the  Home  Mission  Fund  cannot  be 
relied  upon  to  perpetuate  a  state  of  things  that  in  the  last 
analysis  is  not  equitable." 

To  the  missionary  himself  he  writes  in  this  way : 


298       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

"Your  letter  was  sad  reading,  but  what  do  you  pro- 
pose to  do  f  It  would  seem  that  there  are  no  openings 
for  you  in  your  own  Presbytery,  nor  yet  in  the  Presby- 
tery adjoining.  You  would  not  find  it  congenial  work  in 
the  mining  district,  nor  could  you  easily  get  about.  To 
come  further  east  would  be  to  remove  far  from  your 
family ;  nor  are  the  conditions  any  better  than  where  you 
are.  I  would  scarcely  advise  you  to  try  the  probationer's 
role,  but  if  you  can  save  little  money  as  a  missionary,  you 
could  save  less  as  a  probationer. 

"Your  statement  of  expenses  for  eighteen  months  is 
scarcely  fair,  is  it?  You  do  not  need  a  new  buggy  every 
eighteen  months,  nor  a  new  cutter,  nor  a  new  team,  nor 
a  new  set  of  harness  ?  Would  these  not  serve  two  eight- 
een months  ?  If  not,  the  tear  and  wear  must  be  unusually 
heavy.  And  yet  you  charge  them  all  to  the  eighteen 
months. 

"  Have  you  carefully  inquired  as  to  the  causes  of  your 
non-success,  and  have  you  tried  to  remedy  them  ?  .  .  . 
"When  I  mentioned  your  name  in  connection  with  a 
number  of  fields,  they  all  said  no.  And  yet  they  all 
acknowledged  that  you  were  a  good  preacher.  I  shall 
think  the  matter  over,  and  if  I  can  suggest  any  remedy  I 
shall  write  you." 

That  was  a  difficult  letter  to  write.  It  required  cour- 
age of  the  highest  quality,  simply  because  his  heart  was 
overflowing  at  the  time  with  sympathy  for  the  man  and 
his  family.  It  was  a  great  relief  to  the  Superintendent  to 
be  able  to  find  another  sphere  of  work  for  this  particular 
missionary,  and  to  discover  that  his  faithfulness  in  deal- 
ing with  him  was  not  lost,  for  in  his  new  field  he  is  meet- 
ing with  great  success. 

Eesolute  as  the  Superintendent  was  that  the  work 
should  not  be  sacrificed  to  the  missionary,  he  was  the  last 
man  on  the  Committee  to  give  a  man  up,  and  in  the  West- 


CARING  FOR  HIS  MEN  299 

em  Sy nodical  Committee,  the  whole  question  of  supply 
would  often  be  reopened  in  the  hope  of  finding  a  field  for 
a  weak  brother,  whom  no  Presbytery  had  been  anxious  to 
employ.  He  would  indignantly  resent  anything  like  un- 
fair treatment  of  a  missionary  on  the  part  of  any  congre- 
gation. The  following  letter  sets  his  attitude  before  us  in 
clear  light : 

"Mr.  F has  written  me  twice  about  Mr.  M , 

and  I  do  not  know  what  these  people  mean.  Surely  they 

do  not  want  us  to  dismiss  Mr.  M in  the  middle  of  the 

six  months.  I  wrote  Mr.  F that  there  was  a  certain 

orderly  way  of  doing  business  and  that  that  would  be 

followed.  Mr.  M >s  reputation  is  part  of  his  capital, 

and  we  do  not  intend  to  destroy  that  to  please  a  few  fussy 
people.  They  know  the  Presbytery  meets  on  the  llth, 
that  the  half  year  does  not  end  for  a  month  yet,  and  I 
cannot  understand  why  they  should  become  hysterical  in 

this  way.  He  tells  me  that  unless  assured  of  Mr.  M >s 

removal,  they  will  not  go  on  to  build  the  church.  To 
yield  to  such  a  threat  as  that  would  be  poltroonery.  If 
they  will  not  build  without  blasting  Mr.  M >s  reputa- 
tion, let  the  church  go  unbuilt  till  they  come  to  a  better 
frame  of  mind.  If  no  higher  motive  actuated,  it  does  not 
pay  to  do  wrong.  The  course  pursued  is  calculated  to 

arouse  Mr.  M 's  friends  to  oppose  any  settlement  and 

so  divide  a  congregation  now  too  weak.  Counsel  these 
people  to  act  in  a  sane  and  seemly  way  and  not  lose  their 
heads.  It  seems  to  be  nothing  to  some  of  them  that  Mr. 

M might  be  handicapped  in  getting  another  place. 

Ministerial  reputation  is  too  delicate  for  such  rough 
handling.  But  I  shall  see  you  at  Presbytery." 

His  determination  to  defend  the  honour  of  his  Church 
was  illustrated  in  another  manner.  Visiting  a  mission 
field  on  one  occasion,  he  fell  in  with  a  man  who  had  a 
grievance  against  the  Presbyterian  missionary,  and  on 


300       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

being  asked  the  reason,  declared  that  he  had  been 
cheated,  that  the  missionary  had  refused  to  pay  a  bill. 

u  Bring  me  the  bill,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  and  I  will  pay 
it.  The  Presbyterian  Church  shall  not  lie  under  any 
such  charge." 

The  bill  could  not  be  produced  and  the  accuser  was 
convicted  of  fraud. 

Men  who  have  not  had  the  privilege  of  working  side 
by  side  with  the  Superintendent,  of  sharing  his  trials  and 
his  hardships,  have  found  it  impossible  to  understand 
that  marvellous  power  he  had  of  binding  men's  hearts  to 
himself.  The  strongest  and  most  enduring  strands  in 
that  bond  were  their  sharing  in  a  common  devotion  to  a 
great  cause,  and  their  undying  admiration  for  his  zeal 
that  never  tired,  his  enthusiasm  that  never  waned,  his 
courage  that  never  faltered.  But,  more  than  all,  he 
gripped  them  with  the  deep  love  of  a  great  heart.  Writ- 
ing to  one  of  his  "Western  missionaries,  he  uses  these 
touching  words  : 

"  I  highly  appreciate  the  service  that  you  are  render- 
ing, and  especially  the  quiet  plodding  way  in  which, 
without  pause  and  without  complaint  men,  like  yourself 
carry  on  your  work.  May  God  sustain  you  and  may 
your  heart  be  cheered  by  seeing  many  brought  from 
darkness  to  light  and  from  the  service  of  sin  to  the  service 
of  the  living  and  true  God  ! 

"  There  is  scarcely  a  night  after  I  retire  to  rest  that  I 
do  not  begin  at  Lake  Superior  and  pay  you  all  a  visit  be- 
fore sleep  benumbs  the  brain." 

And  brain  and  body  and  heart  were  weary  enough  to 
need  every  precious  hour  of  the  few  left  him  for  sleep. 


XXIX 

THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  THE  PEOPLE 

THE  Superintendent  possessed  in  an  extraordi- 
nary degree  that  quality  so  essential  to  the  pub- 
lic speaker,  a  sensitiveness  to  the  temper  and 
feeling  of  his  audience.     He  was  quick  to  read  faces,  and 
quick  to  detect  and  analyze  the  play  of  emotion. 

Early  in  his  career  as  Superintendent,  he  visited  a 
newly-settled  district  on  the  North  Saskatchewan,  a  dis- 
trict which  he  discovered  to  be  settled  largely  by  people 
of  Scottish  extraction.  On  the  Sabbath  morning  they 
gathered  for  a  service  on  the  leeside  of  a  little  poplar 
"bluff."  It  was  their  first  service  in  that  lonely  new 
land.  Most  of  them  had  come  for  many  miles  by  waggon, 
by  ox-cart,  on  horseback,  and  on  foot.  The  Superintend- 
ent, standing  upon  an  upturned  waggon  box,  announced 
that  Psalm  so  heart-penetrating  for  homesick  folk : 

Lord,  Thee  my  God,  I'll  early  seek ; 

My  soul  doth  thirst  for  Thee ; 
My  flesh  longs  in  a  dry  parched  land, 

Wherein  no  waters  be. 

Through  the  first  verse  they  bravely  sang,  but  not  with- 
out some  quavering.  The  second  verse  they  found  more 
difficult. 

That  I  Thy  power  may  behold. 

And  brightness  of  Thy  face, 
As  I  have  seen  Thee  heretofore 

Within  Thy  holy  place. 

301 


302       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

The  voices  faltered  and  many  broke  into  sobbing.  At 
the  third  verse  none  could  sing.  Then  the  Superintend- 
ent preached  to  them  of  home  and  God  and  their  duty  to 
the  new  country.  The  folk  of  that  community  would  be 
unwilling  to  let  the  story  of  that  service  die  out  of  their 
traditions. 

The  Superintendent  was  never  more  at  home  than  when 
addressing  a  crowd  of  rough  men,  whether  miners,  rail- 
road men,  or  lumbermen.  On  one  occasion  he  was  visit- 
ing Rossland,  a  British  Columbia  mining  town  then  at 
the  height  of  its  boom.  Mr.  H.  J.  Robertson  was  the 
missionary  in  charge,  and  by  sheer  grit  and  energy,  and 
by  unfailing  tact,  he  had  got  the  first  church  built  in  that 
part  of  the  mountains,  and  this  was  the  night  of  its  open- 
ing. One  who  was  present  thus  describes  the  meeting  : 

"The  Superintendent  stood  up  before  that  mining 
crowd  and  began  to  address  them  upon  what  would  seem 
to  many  a  strange  theme,  Home  Missions.  But  in  his 
magic  hand  the  subject  became  at  once  arresting.  The 
men  listened  with  open  eyes  and  ears  to  that  thrilling 
series  of  statistics,  incidents,  and  appeals.  After  all  was 
over  one  of  them  said  to  me  in  a  grave,  subdued  excite 
ment : 

"'Say,  ain't  he  a  corker?'  and  then  solemnly,  after 
due  thought,  '  He's  a  Jim  Dandy  corker  ! ' 

"Most  of  them  were  lads  from  Eastern  Canada  or  from 
the  Old  Land  across  the  sea,  and  the  burr  in  the  Doctor's 
voice,  the  genuine  human  warmth  and  the  manly  straight- 
forwardness of  his  address,  went  straight  to  their  hearts. 
As  he  closed  with  an  appeal  for  a  pure  and  manly  Chris- 
tian life,  in  the  name  of  all  that  was  best  and  noblest  in 
their  past,  picturing  for  them  their  homes,  and  remind- 
ing them  of  the  dear  ones  there,  many  a  poor  fellow  found 
it  necessary  to  surreptitiously  wipe  away  the  tears  that 
gathered,  lest  they  should  fall  and  shame  him. 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  PEOPLE     303 

"After  the  meeting  the  fellows  gather  round  him, 
some  to  claim  personal  acquaintance,  for  the  Doctor  has 
travelled  far,  others  to  make  inquiry  in  regard  to  their 
1  people.'  And  then  many  a  chap  goes  to  his  shack  and 
writes  to  his  mother  that  night." 

His  perfect  courtesy  made  it  easy  for  the  Superintend- 
ent to  adapt  himself  to  any  circumstances.  A  service  hav- 
ing been  arranged  in  a  lumber  camp  about  twelve  miles 
away  from  a  British  Columbia  village,  in  company  with 
a  lady  who  was  interested  in  the  work  and  who  was  to 
assist  in  the  singing,  the  Superintendent  drove  out  to  the 
camp,  the  missionary  following  on  a  broncho.  The  party 
arrived,  by  appointment,  in  time  for  supper.  The  ordi- 
nary lumbermen's  supper  of  pork  and  beans,  and  fried 
potatoes,  and  pies  and  cakes,  was  on  this  occasion  supple- 
mented, in  honour  of  the  Superintendent's  visit,  with  an 
extra  in  the  shape  of  a  stupendous  and  altogether  marvel- 
lous and  fatal  plum  pudding. 

"Nothing  could  be  more  admirable  than  the  heroism 
with  which  the  Superintendent  attacked  that  supper,  al- 
though the  balking  of  both  Superintendent  and  lady  at 
the  plum  pudding,  appeared  to  lay  upon  the  missionary 
the  necessity  of  doing  duty  for  the  whole  party,  which  he 
did  by  insisting  upon  a  second  supply.  By  the  time  the 
supper  was  over,  the  foreman  and  the  men  within  hear- 
ing of  the  Superintendent's  stories,  were  more  than  ready 
to  listen  to  his  sermon.  The  sermon  was  based  upon 
those  immortal  words  that  have  become  known  to  Chris- 
tian people  the  world  over  as  the  Golden  Eule.  And  by 
no  other  words  could  he  have  got  so  quickly  their  sympa- 
thetic attention.  From  the  study  of  the  Golden  Kule,  it 
was  easy  to  pass  to  the  commendation  of  Him  whose  rule 
it  was  and  whose  whole  life  so  conspicuously  illustrated 
it.  The  closing  hymn  was  l  The  Sweet  By  and  By,'  and 
the  men,  standing  up  in  the  dim  light  of  the  smoky  Ian- 


304       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

terns,  sang  it  with  no  delicate  shadings,  but  with  throats 
full  open.  It  was  their  only  way  of  expressing  their  ap- 
preciation of  the  Superintendent  and  of  his  sermon,  for 
there  was  no  collection. " 

It  was  a  large  part  of  the  Superintendent's  duty  to 
stimulate  the  liberality  of  his  Western  missions,  and  to 
develop  their  sense  of  independence.  The  following  ex- 
tracts from  letters  to  Conveners  will  indicate  the  policy 
he  followed  and  the  ideals  he  set  before  his  fellow  - 
workers  : 

1 '  In  making  appointments  see  that  they  are  for  a  defi- 
nite period,  and  that  they  terminate  at  a  fixed  date. 
Should  it  be  found  that  a  missionary  is  not  acceptable, 
he  should  not  be  continued  in  the  field,  for  his  usefulness 
is  impaired,  and  the  field  suffers.  Every  consideration 
must  be  given  to  all  our  missionaries,  but  the  men  are 
for  the  work,  and  not  the  work  for  the  men.  Every  man 
should  know,  whether  ordained  or  not,  that  if  unaccept- 
able the  Church  cannot  carry  him." 

"Mr.  M tells  me  the  Presbyterians  are  about  as 

strong  at  Wetaskiwin  as  the  Methodists,  and  I  wrote  him 
saying  that,  if  practicable,  steps  should  be  taken  to  build 
a  church.  I  warned  him  against  any  union  arrangement 
of  any  kind,  and  asked  him  to  tell  his  people  to  reserve 
their  strength  for  an  effort  of  our  own.  It  is  most  de- 
sirable that  visibility  should  be  given  to  our  cause  there 
and  that  the  people  should  know  that  we  are  not  there 
simply  on  a  visit." 

11 1  want  to  call  in  to  see  you  next  week.  I  am  going 
up  to  Rosedale  which  must  become  self-sustaining.  It  is 
situated  in  one  of  the  best  districts  in  the  whole  "West,  it 
has  received  long  and  generous  help,  it  is  in  a  good  finan- 
cial position  and  should  go  off  the  list  unasked.  If  it  has 
not  spirit  to  do  that,  then  it  must  be  forcibly  '  weaned/ 
I  was  at  Franklin  and  they  agreed  to  rise  to  $700  a  year. 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  PEOPLE     305 

Dauphin  should  go  off  the  list  now,  too,  and  Mekiwin, 
Arden,  and  Macdonald  should  call  and  soon  be  self-sus- 
taining." 

He  was  constantly  being  challenged  and  quizzed  by 
members  of  the  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee 
upon  the  aid-receiving  capacity  of  the  Western  Mission 
fields,  until  he  became  sensitive  on  this  point,  and  he 
used  to  seize  every  opportunity  to  inculcate  upon  these 
missions  the  doctrine  of  self-support.  In  regard  to  this 
habit  of  his,  a  missionary  writes  : 

' 4  Our  congregation  was  on  the  augmented  list.  He  was 
not  long  in  finding  out  by  a  few  direct  questions  what  the 
state  of  the  congregation  was.  He  soon  asked  : 

"'When  can  you  become  self- sustaining ?'  And  in 
parting  he  said,  'See  that  the  calf  does  not  suck  the 
mother  longer  than  is  necessary,'  and  then  added,  'The 
East  is  doing  great  things  for  the  West,  and  the  West 
must  do  all  it  can  to  help  itself.' ' 

The  Superintendent  had  an  unfailing  instinct  for  the 
right  word  in  the  right  place,  and  he  used  to  excite  the 
admiration  of  his  missionaries  by  getting  congregations 
to  do  at  his  simple  request  what  they  had  for  weeks  been 
begging  them  in  vain  to  do. 

Having  received  a  report  on  one  occasion,  that  a  rail- 
way missionary  had  been  unfortunate  enough  to  "fall 
out"  with  his  rough  and  ready  congregation,  the  Super- 
intendent paid  a  visit  to  the  gravel-pit  where  the  con- 
struction gang  were  working  for  the  day.  At  the  noon 
hour  he  obtained  permission  to  address  them.  He  dis- 
cussed with  them  his  never-failing  theme,  Home  Mis- 
sions, and  to  such  good  purpose  that,  before  he  had  done, 
he  had  won  the  sympathy  of  the  entire  crowd. 

"Now,"  he  said,  "men,  we  have  sent  you  this  sum- 
mer our  missionary,  Mr.  Blank,  and  I  have  no  doubt  he 
has  given  you  faithful  service.  And  we  believe  that  you 


306       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

are  willing  to  show  your  appreciation  of  that  service  and 
to  help  in  this  great  work  of  Home  Missions.  I  want 
some  man  to  head  a  subscription  list  for  the  support  of 
this  summer's  work." 

Not  a  man  moved.  The  Superintendent  waited  in  si- 
lence. At  length  he  called  out,  "  Is  there  not  a  Presby- 
terian here?  It's  a  queer  crowd  that  has  no  Scotchman 
in  it,  or  a  'blue  nose/  or  a  t  herring-back '  (men  from  the 
Maritime  Provinces)  and  if  there  is  that  sort  of  Presby- 
terian here,  it  is  the  first  time  I  ever  knew  him  to  refuse 
to  support  his  Church  or  to  pay  his  just  debts." 

It  was  not  long  before  the  subscription  list  was  com- 
pleted. 

The  Superintendent  could  be  relentlessly  severe  when 
a  congregation,  or  especially  when  a  Board  of  Manage- 
ment, were  detected  trying  to  shirk  duty  and  to  escape 
responsibility.  A  congregation  in  a  little  Western  town 
which  was  just  emerging  from  a  boom,  found  itself  some- 
what heavily  in  debt.  The  Superintendent  visited  the 
congregation  and  after  the  usual  Home  Mission  address, 
called  the  Board  of  Management  together  and  proceeded 
to  investigate  with  the  most  searching  minuteness.  The 
financial  side  of  the  congregational  life,  the  assets  and 
liabilities,  the  methods  of  raising  and  of  spending  mon- 
eys, and  finally  the  debt  to  the  Church  and  Manse  Board, 
all  passed  under  strict  review.  The  debt  to  the  Church 
and  Manse  Board  amounted  to  $600. 

"  Has  the  interest  been  paid  I "  inquired  the  Superin- 
tendent. 

"No,"  said  the  Chairman,  a  young  business  man  of 
the  town. 

"  Has  there  been  any  attempt  to  pay  it  ?  " 

"No,"  replied  the  young  man,  and  proceeded  to  sug- 
gest that  it  really  did  not  matter  much  about  a  debt  of 
this  kind ;  that,  in  fact,  the  Church  and  Manse  Board 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  PEOPLE  307 

might  show  a  better  spirit  than  to  press  a  weak  and 
struggling  mission  to  pay  this  debt. 

"Sir,"  said  the  Superintendent,  and  the  vibrant  voice 
took  a  deeper  note  and  a  richer  burr,  *  *  the  Presbyterian 
Church  pays  its  debts,  and  any  congregation  proposing 
to  repudiate  the  just  claims  against  it  must  be  prepared 
to  write  itself  off  the  roll  of  Presbytery. " 

And  such  was  the  gleam  of  indignation  that  shot  from 
under  the  shaggy  eyebrows,  that  the  unfortunate  repudia- 
tor  hastened  to  disclaim  any  intention  of  repudiation. 
And  the  whole  Board  united  in  a  solemn  promise  to  set 
about  the  raising  of  that  debt  with  all  possible  speed. 

There  was  one  occasion,  however,  when  the  Superin- 
tendent took  quite  another  tone  with  a  congregation 
which  he  was  visiting.  The  account  is  given  by  one  who 
was  present  at  that  meeting.  It  was  in  a  mission  station 
of  Northern  Alberta. 

"I  remember  well  the  day  we  drove  from  Innis- 
fail  to  Olds.  It  was  late  in  August,  and  the  sun  was 
shining  in  all  its  splendour  upon  magnificent  fields  of 
wheat.  It  was  a  sight  to  rejoice  one's  heart,  but  there 
was  no  rejoicing  that  day,  for  the  night  before  a  frost  had 
fallen  and  the  whole  country  was  waiting  anxiously  to 
know  the  full  extent  of  the  injury.  As  the  day  wore  on, 
the  Doctor  would  now  and  then  stop  to  examine  the  ears 
of  grain.  One  could  hardly  have  a  more  perfect  symbol 
of  smiling  deception  than  those  same  fields  of  wheat  so 
apparently  rich  in  value,  but  so  actually  worthless  for 
market.  As  the  afternoon  wore  on,  the  certainty  of  total 
loss  for  the  district  became  well  established. 

"The  Superintendent  was  to  address  a  meeting  in  a  lit- 
tle schoolhouse  not  far  from  the  village  of  Olds.  As  we 
drove  up  to  the  door,  we  could  not  fail  to  notice  the 
gloomy  faces  of  the  men  gathered  outside.  For  many  of 
them  the  failure  of  this  crop  was  the  blighting  of  their 


308       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

last  hope.  I  wondered  how  he  would  handle  that  crowd. 
I  shuddered  as  I  thought  of  the  possibility  of  his  deliver- 
ing his  Home  Mission  address  with  its  appeal  for  more 
liberal  support.  I  need  not  have  feared.  The  Superin- 
tendent knew  his  men,  and  more  than  any  man  of  them 
felt  the  bitter  disappointment  of  that  day,  for  he  bore  the 
load  of  hundreds  of  like  sufferers. 

"At  first  there  was  no  word  of  Home  Missions,  but 
with  exquisitely  tender  emphasis  he  read  the  immortal 
words  of  the  Master  that  have  stood  between  so  many  dis- 
couraged hearts  and  despair.  '  Lay  not  up  for  your- 
selves treasures  upon  earth  where  moth  and  rust  doth  cor- 
rupt. .  .  .  Lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures  in 
heaven.  .  .  .  Where  your  treasure  is,  there  will 
your  heart  be  also.  .  .  .  Take  no  thought  for  your 
life,  what  ye  shall  eat  or  what  ye  shall  drink.  .  .  . 
Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air.  .  .  .  Your  heavenly 
Father  feedeth  them.  .  .  .  Consider  the  lilies  of  the 
field,  how  they  grow.  .  .  .  Therefore,  take  no 
thought  saying,  what  shall  we  eat,  or  what  shall  we  drink. 
.  .  .  Your  heavenly  Father  knoweth  that  ye  have 
need  of  all  these  things.'  Then  leaving  the  desk,  he 
drew  near  them  and  began  to  comfort  them  like  a  father. 
He  spoke  of  the  things  that  were  left,  that  no  frost  could 
touch,  the  eternal  treasures  which  even  here  and  now  men 
may  possess.  And  then  he  turned  to  his  great  theme,  for 
he  could  not  long  be  denied,  and  talked  to  them  about 
'the  work  we  are  carrying  on  in  this  country/  But 
never  a  word  of  depression  or  of  discouragement  did  he 
utter.  His  statistics  and  his  stories  were  all  to  show  the 
triumphs  of  faith  and  endurance  that  irradiate  the  history 
of  Western  missions.  His  final  words  were-  those  not 
often  heard  from  his  lips. 

"  i  We  are  not  here  to-night  to  ask  you  for  support,  we 
are  here  to  help.  Don't  be  discouraged.  Better  days  are 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  PEOPLE  309 

sure  to  come.  Be  faithful  to  your  Churcli.  You  cannot 
do  much  this  year,  but  your  Church  will  not  forget  you. 
Trust  in  your  heavenly  Father  and  hold  on.' 

"  Even  in  the  gathering  gloom  one  could  see  the  change 
wrought  in  the  faces  of  his  hearers.  They  were  their  own 
men  again.  The  hopelessness  was  gone.  Their  vision  of 
eternal  things  had  pierced  the  clouds  of  disappointment 
and  revealed  the  treasures  that  neither  moth  nor  rust  nor 
frost  could  take  away.  I  had  seen  the  Superintendent  do 
many  fine  things,  but  never  anything  quite  so  fine  as  he 
did  for  those  people  that  evening. ' ' 

Dr.  Eobertson  was  gifted  with  the  rare  capacity  for 
winning  the  confidence  of  men  who  might  be  supposed  to 
be  quite  hostile  to  his  cause  and  to  himself.  It  was  while 
he  was  making  his  first  trip  through  Alberta  and  was 
soliciting  subscriptions  for  the  erection  of  a  Church  in 
connection  with  one  of  his  mission  stations,  that  he  came 
upon  a  young  Scotchman  who  rejected  his  appeal,  assert- 
ing with  an  oath  that  he  had  never  known  a  professing 
Christian  "  who  wasn't  a  blank  hypocrite  anyway." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Superintendent,  "  I  am  sorry,  sir,  that 
you  had  such  a  poor  mother." 

"What  do  yon  mean,  sir?"  was  the  angry  retort. 
"  What  do  you  know  of  my  mother  ?  " 

"  Was  she  a  professing  Christian  ?" 

"  She  was." 

"  And  was  she  a  good  woman  ?  " 

"She  was  that,  but,"  feeling  his  equivocal  position, 
"  there  are  not  many  like  her." 

"We  want  to  make  Christians  like  your  mother  in 
this  country,  and  that  is  why  we  are  building  this 
church." 

Before  the  interview  was  over  he  had  added  another 
name  to  his  subscription  list. 

He  was  greatly  assisted  in  getting  hold  of  men  by  his 


310       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

marvellous  memory  for  faces,  and  missionaries  all  over 
the  Western  country  relate  instances  of  this  remarkable 
faculty  of  his. 

In  Edmonton  he  was  introduced  to  an  ex- member  of  the 
Northwest  Mounted  Police. 

"I  know  you,  sir,"  said  the  Superintendent  promptly. 

' '  How  is  that  1    I  never  met  you. ' ' 

"  Seven  years  ago  I  met  you  at  McLeod." 

The  man  was  amazed.  "Sure  enough,"  he  said,  "I 
was  orderly  in  the  Barracks  there  at  that  time." 

At  the  close  of  a  service  in  Balmoral,  Manitoba,  an 
Englishman  came  up  and  said  : 

"  You  don't  know  me,  but  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  your 
address." 

1 1  Yes,  I  do  know  you, ' '  replied  the  Superintendent.  1 1 1 
saw  you  in  Winnipeg  in  such  a  house  on  such  a  street,  let 
me  see,  just  seventeen  years  ago." 

Needless  to  say,  the  man  was  perfectly  astonished,  for 
he  remembered  that  he  had  lived  in  that  house,  at  that 
time. 

But  perhaps  the  most  remarkable  of  all  the  instances 
reported  is  that  of  a  man  whom  the  Superintendent  came 
across  in  a  mining  camp  in  British  Columbia.  The  young 
man  was  standing  amid  a  crowd  of  his  fellows,  pouring 
forth  a  stream  of  profanity.  The  Superintendent  stood 
looking  at  him  steadily  for  a  few  moments,  then  went  up 
to  him  and  said  gravely  and  sadly  : 

"Your  godly  father  and  mother  would  be  grieved  to 
see  and  hear  you  now." 

"  What  do  you  know  of  my  father  and  mother  1 "  said 
the  young  man  rudely.  "  You  don't  know  me." 

"Don't  I?  I  ought  to,  for  if  I  am  not  greatly  mis- 
taken, you  were  a  lad  in  my  Sabbath-school  class  in 
Woodstock  twenty-two  years  ago." 

Further  conversation  revealed  this   statement  to  be 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  PEOPLE     311 

true.  The  young  man  was  dumbfounded,  and  over- 
whelmed with  shame. 

"Yes,"  he  acknowledged,  "I  was  in  that  class." 
And  afterwards,  to  the  Superintendent  alone,  he  told 
the  sad  tale  of  a  careless  and  sinful  life,  ending  with  a 
promise  of  repentance  and  return. 

This  ability  of  his  to  grip  and  hold  individuals  even 
while  he  rebuked  them  for  their  sins,  often  gave  him 
entrance  to  a  crowd  or  a  community  that  otherwise 
would  have  been  closed  to  him.  There  is  a  famous 
story  of  an  encounter  he  had  with  a  young  cowboy 
in  Fort  McLeod,  which  the  old-timers  of  that  town  love 
to  recount. 

It  was  the  Superintendent's  first  visit  to  that  part 
of  the  country.  Coming  by  the  Lethbridge  stage,  he 
made  the  acquaintance  of  the  stage-driver  Jake,  famous 
for  his  skill  with  the  lines,  famous  also  as  a  master  of 
varied  and  picturesque  profanity.  Arriving  at  the 
stopping-place,  the  Superintendent  gave  his  coat  to 
the  bartender,  who  tossed  it  into  a  corner  behind  the  bar. 

"  Hold  on  there,"  said  the  Superintendent.  "  I  have  a 
bottle  of  lime  juice  in  the  pocket." 

"Oh,"  replied  the  bartender  with  a  wink  (those  were 
prohibition  days),  "  I  never  heard  it  called  that  before," 
and  nothing  short  of  sampling  would  convince  him  of 
the  harmless  character  of  the  beverage. 

Later  in  the  afternoon,  the  Superintendent  was  pin- 
ning up  a  notice  of  a  service  to  be  held  on  Sunday,  the 
day  following.  A  young  fellow  strode  in,  read  the 
notice,  glanced  at  the  Superintendent,  and  immedi- 
ately broke  forth  into  a  volley  of  oaths.  The  Superin- 
tendent listened  quietly  till  he  had  finished,  then  said 
blandly : 

"Is  that  the  best  you  can  do?  You  ought  to  hear 
Jake.  You  go  to  Jake.  He'll  give  you  points." 


312       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

The  derisive  laughter  that  followed  completely 
quenched  the  crestfallen  young  man.  In  the  evening 
the  Superintendent  came  upon  him  in  the  street,  got 
into  conversation  with  him,  found  he  was  of  Presbyterian 
extraction,  that  he  had  been  well  brought  up,  but  in  that 
wild  land  had  fallen  into  evil  ways. 

"Come  now,"  said  the  Superintendent,  "own  up 
you  were  trying  to  bluff  me  this  afternoon,  weren't 
you?" 

"Well,  I  guess  so,"  was  the  shamefaced  reply.  "  But 
you  held  over  me." 

"Now  look  here,"  replied  the  Superintendent,  "you 
get  me  a  good  meeting  to-morrow  afternoon,  and  we'll 
call  it  square." 

The  young  man  promised,  and  next  day's  meeting 
proved  him  to  be  as  good  as  his  word. 

But  above  all  qualities  that  gave  him  his  power 
over  the  people  and  enabled  him  to  win  and  to  hold 
their  affection  and  their  confidence  to  the  very  end  of 
his  life,  was  his  genuine  sympathy  with  them,  arising 
from  his  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  conditions 
under  which  they  lived.  For  by  experience  he  came 
to  know  their  trials,  their  hardships,  their  loneliness, 
their  privations,  their  self-denials.  And  it  was 
this  sympathy  that  made  him  at  once  so  truly  their 
friend  in  the  "West  and  so  mightily  their  advocate  in 
the  East. 


XXX 

PUBLIC  MAN  AND  SCHOLAR 

AMID  the  stress  of  missionary  work  the  Superin- 
tendent found  leisure  for  the  study  of  public 
affairs  and  for  the  cultivation  of  an  intelligent 
interest  in  the  things  pertaining  to  the  development  of 
national  life. 

In  the  performance  of  his  duty  it  fell  to  him  to  criti- 
cise the  Dominion  Government's  administration  of  Indian 
affairs,  and  especially  to  call  attention  to  the  very  grave 
scandals  arising  out  of  the  practices  of  some  of  the  Agents 
employed  by  the  Government  upon  the  Indian  Eeserves. 
In  1886,  he  made  a  public  statement  in  this  connection  in 
the  city  of  Montreal,  which  produced  a  profound  im- 
pression. In  that  public  statement  he  accused  the  Gov- 
ernment of  neglecting  its  duties  to  the  Indians,  declaring 
that,  in  many  places,  the  Indians  were  starving,  and  also 
Agents  were  employed  who  were  "  drunkards,  gamblers, 
and  rakes. "  The  press  gave  the  widest  circulation  to 
his  statement.  It  was  challenged  by  politicians  defend- 
ing the  Government  of  the  day.  The  following  extract 
from  the  Hansard  of  1886  gives  the  discussion  upon  the 
floor  of  the  House  of  Commons  at  Ottawa : 

Mr.  Paterson  (Brant)— "  The  Eev.  Mr.  Eobertson, 
taking  cognizance  of  some  statements  made  by  a  gentle- 
man in  contradiction  of  what  he  stated,  says :  i  Mr. 
Andrews  asks  where  are  the  Indians  starving,  searching 
refuse  heaps  and  swill-barrels,  and  ravenously  devouring 
crusts  of  bread  and  scraps  of  meat?  At  Minnedosa, 

313 


314       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Broadview,  Birtle,  Fort  Qu'Appelle,  Prince  Albert,  Bat- 
tleford,  Moosejaw,  Medicine  Hat,  and  the  rest,  I  have 
seen  them  doing  this.  It  might  have  been  because  they 
were  curious,  and  preferred  dirty  crusts  and  decaying  meat 
to  tender,  well- bled  beef,  but  I  did  not  think  of  account- 
ing for  it  in  that  way.  I  Mow  the  eager  look,  the  shrunken 
form,  and  the  wolfish  face  that  speak  of  want  in  the  adult, 
and  the  wan,  pinched  look  that  speaks  of  starvation  in  the 
child  ;  and  I  have  seen  them  near  Fort  Ellice,  Fort  Pelly, 
File  Hills,  and  other  places,  and  have  had  my  sympathies 
drawn  out  to  the  owners.  I  have  seen  Indians  eating 
horses  that  died  of  disease,  when  the  flesh  was  half-rotten. 
I  have  seen  them  picking  up  the  entrails  of  animals 
about  slaughter-houses  when  these  were  fast  decompos- 
ing, ay,  and  eating  them  without  cooking,  or  even  wash- 
ing. They  may  prefer  such  carrion  to  good  beef,  well- 
bled  and  cool  when  killed,  but  I  doubt  it.'  This  is  the 
statement  of  Mr.  Robertson  to  which  he  attaches  his 
name  in  public  print." 

Mr.  Ferguson  (Leeds) — "  I  happen  to  know  something 
about  Rev.  Mr.  Robertson  which  I  do  not  care  to  disclose 
or  discuss  here,  and  which  does  not  add  much  to  the 
weight  of  his  statements  on  this  subject.  I  am  not  going 
to  say  anything  further  on  the  point  just  now." 

Mr.  Fairbanks — "I  rise  to  call  attention  to  a  very 
improper  remark  by  an  honourable  gentleman  opposite. 
He  has  spoken  in  reference  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robertson,  a 
gentleman  with  whom  I  happen  to  have  a  slight  ac- 
quaintance, having  met  him  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties,  having  listened  to  his  preaching,  and  knowing 
him  well  by  reputation.  When  an  honourable  member 
stands  up  in  this  place  and  makes  a  remark  like  this — 
'I  know  something  about  Rev.  Mr.  Robertson  which  I 
do  not  care  to  disclose  or  discuss  here,  and  which  does 
not  add  much  to  the  weight  of  his  statements  on  this  sub- 


PUBLIC  MAN  AND  SCHOLAR  315 

ject,'  I  submit  that  gentleman  has  either  said  too  much 
or  not  enough." 

Mr.  Watson — "I  would  not  have  spoken  at  this  late 
hour  but  for  the  insinuations  on  the  other  side  of  the 
House  against  the  Eev.  Mr.  Eobertson  and  the  Eev. 
Jno.  McDougall.  .  .  .  The  Eev.  Mr.  Eobertson  I 
have  known  for  ten  years,  and  he  is  a  man  above  re- 
proach. He  did  not  go  to  the  Northwest  on  the  same 
mission  as  the  honourable  member  who  has  been  slander- 
ing him  .  .  .  but  for  the  purpose  of  doing  good  to 
the  white  settlers  and  Indians." 

The  General  Assembly,  taking  up  the  question  of  In- 
dian administration,  passed  a  very  strong  resolution  in 
support  of  Dr.  Eobertson' s  position,  and  called  upon  the 
Government  to  put  an  end  to  the  scandals  and  to  remove 
the  unworthy  Agents.  And  so  deep  was  the  feeling 
aroused  throughout  the  whole  country,  that  the  Govern- 
ment appointed  a  Commissioner  to  inspect  the  Eeserves 
and  to  inquire  into  the  abuses,  with  the  result  that  the 
charges  made  by  the  Superintendent  were  abundantly 
substantiated,  and  the  necessary  reforms  at  once  insti- 
tuted by  the  Government. 

By  instinct  and  by  habit,  Dr.  Eobertson  was  a  student, 
with  all  the  Scotchman's  reverence  for  education.  It  is 
not  surprising  that  from  the  very  first  he  took  an  active 
interest  in  the  educational  affairs  of  Western  Canada,  and 
used  his  influence  to  establish  on  sound  foundations  both 
the  University  and  the  Public  School  system  of  educa- 
tion. He  was  for  years  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation for  Manitoba,  and  his  advice  was  always  listened 
to  with  respect.  He  strongly  supported  the  movement  to 
establish  a  Provincial  University,  in  opposition  to  those 
who  were  pouring  contempt  upon  what  they  termed  a 
" University  on  paper."  He  was  a  staunch  advocate  of 
a  national  system  of  Public  Schools,  and  by  the  advocacy 


316       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

of  this  system  in  Presbyteries,  Synods,  and  General  As- 
semblies, as  well  as  in  public  addresses  both  in  Eastern 
and  Western  Canada,  he  did  much  to  strengthen  public 
opinion  in  support  of  the  principle  that  State  funds 
should  be  appropriated  to  the  support  of  only  non-secta- 
rian institutions.  He  saw  clearly  that  for  the  future  unity 
and  homogeneity  of  the  nation,  the  great  agencies  were 
the  Church  and  the  Public  School.  And  at  a  critical 
period  in  the  history  of  the  great  struggle  to  maintain  our 
Public  School  system,  the  influence  of  Dr.  Robertson  did 
much  to  conserve  for  the  Province  this  priceless  posses- 
sion. One  phrase  of  his  that  appeared  in  his  report  to 
the  Assembly  of  1895  became  a  watchword  in  the  cam- 
paign— "  The  dead  hand  has  too  long  hampered  the 
freedom  of  the  living. " 

His  desire  to  establish  missions  among  the  foreign  peo- 
ples settling  in  the  West  arose  out  of,  not  only  his  loyalty 
to  his  Church  and  to  her  great  mission  to  all  classes  of 
citizens,  but  out  of  this  conviction  as  well,  that  it  would 
be  fatal  to  the  national  development  to  allow  large  sec- 
tions of  our  country  to  remain  untouched  by  the  religious 
life  of  the  majority  of  the  Canadian  people.  At  an  early 
date  in  the  history  of  the  West  he  established  missions 
among  the  Icelanders,  Hungarians,  Germans,  Finns,  and 
Scandinavians,  not  with  the  idea  of  making  them  Pres- 
byterian, but  simply  to  Canadianize  these  peoples  and  to 
develop  in  them  the  Christian  ideals  held  by  the  people 
of  Canada.  The  segregation  of  foreigners  in  large 
colonies  he  considered  a  mistaken  policy. 

After  the  establishment  of  the  large  Galician  colonies 
in  Western  Canada,  the  Superintendent  was  anxious  to 
find  some  means  of  approach  by  which  these  people 
could  be  reached.  In  faith  they  were  about  equally 
divided  between  the  Greek  and  the  Roman  Catholic 
Churches,  while  the  vast  majority  of  those  holding 


PUBLIC  MAN  AND  SCHOLAR  317 

formally  to  the  Eoman  Catholic  Church  practiced  the 
Greek  rite.  The  presence  of  large  colonies  of  these 
people  in  Western  Canada,  for  whose  religious  care 
no  Church  was  making  adequate  provision,  Dr.  Robert- 
son considered  at  once  a  challenge  and  a  menace  to 
Canadian  Christianity.  But  for  some  years  no  avenue 
of  approach  seemed  to  open  up.  One  evening  there 
came  to  'the  Rev.  C.  W.  Gordon's  study  two  Galician 
students  who  expressed  their  eager  desire  that  some- 
thing should  be  done  for  their  fellow-countrymen  both 
in  the  matter  of  education  and  in  regard  to  religious 
privileges.  Mr.  Gordon  introduced  the  two  young  men 
to  the  Rev.  Dr.  King,  Principal  of  Manitoba  College. 
That  clear-visioned  educationist  and  statesman  saw 
immediately  the  importance  of  this  opening.  The 
Superintendent  was  approached.  At  once  an  arrange- 
ment was  made  by  which  these  young  men  were  entered 
upon  the  roll  of  Manitoba  College.  There  they  received 
the  special  attention  and  teaching  of  the  Principal,  the 
Superintendent  assuming  the  responsibility  for  their 
support.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  important  work 
which  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  carrying  on  among 
the  Galician  people  of  Western  Canada.  Within  a 
year,  schools  were  opened  up  among  these  people,  and, 
before  two  years  had  passed,  as  a  result  largely  of 
the  effect  of  these  schools  and  of  the  pressure  brought 
to  bear  by  the  Presbyterian  and  other  Churches,  the 
Government  of  Manitoba  so  modified  its  educational 
policy  as  to  allow  the  extension  of  the  Public  School 
system  to  the  foreign  populations  within  the  Province. 

One  of  the  striking  characteristics  of  the  Superintend- 
ent was  his  interest  in  contemporary  thought.  Pressed 
as  he  was  with  the  almost  overwhelming  details  of  his 
immediate  work,  he  snatched  precious  minutes  to  dip 
into  and  devour  the  newest  books. 


318       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"  I  was  often  surprised,"  says  Principal  Gordon,  "  at 
the  amount  of  reading  he  used  to  get  through  on  the 
railway.  It  was  his  only  time  for  study,  and  far  too 
precious  to  spend  on  the  ordinary  style  of  railway 
literature.  He  generally  carried  with  him  some  new 
book,  and  kept  himself  well  up  in  recent  criticism  and 
theology.  Any  minister  who  has  enjoyed  a  quiet 
hour's  talk  with  him  must  have  been  struck  with  his 
familiar  knowledge  and  firm  grasp  of  current  ques- 
tions." 

A  similar  sentiment  is  expressed  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ross : 

"  Another  thing  that  impressed  me  was  his  grasp  of 
problems  outside  his  own  work.  I  delighted  to  turn 
his  conversation  to  subjects  that  I  had  been  studying, 
that  I  might  look  at  them  with  his  eyes.  I  was  often 
surprised  to  find  him  at  home  in  some  things  that  one 
would  scarcely  have  expected  him  to  know,  e.  g.,  certain 
aspects  of  the  Kenosis  theory.  He  spent  so  much  time 
travelling  and  his  own  work  was  so  exhausting  that  he 
trained  himself  to  take  the  heart  out  of  a  book  in  a  little 
while,  and  all  the  time  he  was  studying  the  subject  in 
the  light  of  the  bearing  which  it  had  on  some  phase  of 
life,  thought,  or  work  in  the  West.  And  the  intense 
thought  he  had  given  to  his  own  work  had  proved  a 
splendid  mental  discipline  for  him." 

He  was  interested  in  the  study  of  Theology,  but  he 
was  far  more  interested  in  religion  than  in  Theology, 
and  to  those  who  knew  him  intimately  it  was  always  a 
pleasure  to  discuss  theological  questions  and  to  note  how 
Theology  with  him  was  ever  related  to  the  practical 
problems  of  living.  This  appears  to  have  impressed 
President  Falconer,  who  writes  as  follows  : 

"  I  was  always  much  surprised  at  his  grip  upon  theo- 
logical problems  and  his  modern  attitude.  .  .  .  Re- 
ligion was  to  him  so  much  the  dominant  factor  of  life, 


PUBLIC  MAN  AND  SCHOLAR  319 

arid  lie  was  so  sincere  in  his  own,  that  he  made  Theology 
the  living,  real  expression  of  this  hidden  religious 
life.  That  is  what  makes  Theology  vital ;  that  will  never 
allow  practical  men. of  Dr.  Robertson's  stamp  to  de- 
generate into  ecclesiastics.  And,  in  a  living  essential 
Theology  of  this  nature,  lies  our  hope  for  the  future." 

And  Dr.  Pollock  says  : 

"Men  do  not  appear  at  their  best  at  our  Assemblies. 
All  that  I  could  perceive  of  him  there,  was  that  he  was 
a  man  swallowed  up,  as  it  were,  by  a  great  work.  The 
practical  side  of  life  seemed  to  have  absorbed  all  other 
sides  of  it,  and  he  was  filled  with  one  idea,  the  vastness 
of  the  West  and  its  necessities.  After  I  knew  him  better 
I  found  that  he  was  a  thinker  as  well  as  a  pioneer  and 
practical  worker." 

Dr.  Eobertson  was  far  more  than  a  Churchman.  He 
was  a  citizen  of  Canada,  with  a  very  practical  interest 
in  the  development  of  the  resources  and  industries  of 
the  nation.  He  was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  many 
of  the  leaders  in  the  commercial  and  the  industrial  world. 
No  man  in  Canada  was  more  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  West  and  its  varied  resources  than  was  Dr. 
Eobertson,  and  not  infrequently  was  his  advice  sought 
and  followed  by  men  representing  the  largest  business 
interests  of  the  country.  It  is  well  known  that  even  so 
large  and  important  a  corporation  as  the  Canadian 
Pacific  Railway,  with  whose  chief  officers  he  maintained 
throughout  his  life  the  most  cordial  relations,  was  more 
than  once  guided  by  his  judgment.  On  one  occasion  the 
advice  of  Dr.  Robertson  was  considered  sufficiently 
weighty  to  determine  the  direction  of  one  of  the 
Company's  branch  lines.  It  was  largely  upon  Dr. 
Robertson's  suggestion  that  the  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
way initiated  that  most  happy  and  popular  institution 
of  winter  excursions  to  Eastern  Canada.  And  it  was 


320       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

largely  due  to  the  Superintendent's  ability  to  show 
the  railway  officials  the  important  and  favourable 
effect  of  Home  Missions  upon  the  material  interests 
of  the  country  in  which  their  Company  was  so  heavily 
involved,  that  they  were  prepared  to  grant  missionaries 
transportation  privileges,  not  only  upon  grounds  of  Chris- 
tian courtesy,  but  also  upon  the  basis  of  sound  business 
principles. 

Thus,  such  was  his  intellectual  ability,  his  accurate 
and  wide  knowledge  of  Western  Canada,  his  shrewd, 
practical  common  sense,  and  his  lofty  character,  that 
Dr.  Robertson  was  able  to  move  amid  the  leaders  of 
Canadian  thought  and  enterprise  as  a  man  moves  among 
his  peers,  and  to  command  their  entire  confidence  and 
respect. 


XXXI 

A  LONG  PULL 

t   •   AHrc  ten  years  from  1887,  when  the  General  As- 
sembly first  met  in  Winnipeg,  to  1897,  when 

\_  the  Assembly  revisited  the  Capital  City  of  the 
West,  were  for  the  Superintendent  years  of  unceasing  and 
strenuous  toil.  During  these  years  the  lines  of  occupa- 
tion were  steadily  advanced.  From  post  to  post,  with 
slow  progress  at  times,  but  with  never  a  stop,  the  Church 
pushed  on  to  take  the  new  land.  It  was  no  summer 
jaunt,  but  a  fierce  and  bitter  conflict,  in  which  the  West- 
ern missionaries,  led  on  by  their  great  chief,  paid  out 
literally  their  life's  blood  unknown  to  the  Church  that 
sent  them  into  the  campaign.  It  was  a  great  adventure. 
Great  in  its  issues  ;  it  was  for  an  empire  and  for  an  im- 
perial base  of  world  conquest  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 
Great  in  its  sacrifices ;  it  demanded  the  lives  of  men  and 
women,  who,  without  thought  of  heroism  or  of  aught  but 
duty  and  privilege,  gladly  laid  them  down.  Great  in  its 
triumphs  ;  for  in  spite  of  losses  and  failures,  the  line  of 
advance  never  wavered,  but  moved  steadily  forward  till 
everywhere  in  Western  Canada  floated  the  banner  of  the 
Church.  But  great  as  was  the  triumph  and  worthy  of  all 
the  sacrifice,  it  is  sad  and  humiliating  to  look  bac&  and- 
see  how  unnecessary  much  of  this  sacrifice  was  ;  for  the 
simple  fact  emerges  from  the  records  that  never  for  a 
single  year  did  the  Church  furnish  adequate  supplies  to 
those  conducting  the  campaign.  There  was  never  enough 
money  and  never  enough  men. 

It  was  during  the  Assembly's  excursion  to  the  Pacific 
Coast  in  1887  that  the  Superintendent  was  approached  in 

321 


322       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

regard  to  his  accepting  an  honorary  degree,  and,  in  the 
year  following,  the  Presbyterian  College  of  Montreal  did 
itself  honour  in  honouring  the  Superintendent  of  Mis- 
sions for  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  Territories  with 
the  title  of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  The  granting  of  this 
honour  is  a  significant  indication  that  the  Superintendent 
was  coming  to  his  place  in  the  estimation  of  the  Church. 

In  his  report  for  that  year,  his  Western  field  was  de- 
scribed as  reaching  from  White  River,  on  the  north 
shore  of  Lake  Superior,  to  Revelstoke,  in  the  mountains 
of  British  Columbia,  1,800  miles  long  by  350  wide  ;  and 
as  a  result  of  the  work  of  the  five  great  years  preceding, 
he  was  able  to  say,  with  surely  pardonable  pride,  that 
there  was  no  settlement  of  any  size,  along  the  line  of  rail- 
way, but  was  reached  in  some  way  with  Gospel  ordi- 
nances. The  population  of  Manitoba  at  this  time  had 
risen  to  108,640.  a  gain  of  74.5  %  in  five  years.  Of  this 
population  the  Presbyterian  Church  claimed  28,406,  a 
gain  of  104.4  %,  leading  all  others  by  5,200.  This  vast 
field  was  organized  into  five  Presbyteries — Winnipeg, 
Brandon,  Rock  Lake,  Regina,  and  Calgary,  exclusive  of 
the  Presbytery  of  Columbia — and  manned  by  149  workers 
of  all  kinds.  But  every  year  settlement  pushed  on  into 
the  unclaimed  wilds,  and  hard  upon  the  heels  of  settle- 
ment followed  the  Church. 

In  1889,  such  is  the  development  in  the  northern  and 
western  portions  of  the  Presbyteries  of  Brandon  and 
Regina,  that  reorganization,  is  necessary,  and  the  new 
Presbytery  of  Minnedosa  is  formed.  In  the  following 
year,  the  building  of  the  Calgary  and  Edmonton  line  of 
railway  opens  up  Northern  Alberta,  and  the  Superintend- 
ent is  discovered,  as  we  should  expect,  far  beyond  the 
limit  of  construction,  planting  new  missions  in  anticipa- 
tion of  settlement.  A  characteristic  letter  gives  an  ac- 
count of  his  return  to  civilization  : 


A  LONG  PULL  323 

"Calgary,  Nov.  — ,  1890. 
"  MY  DEAR  MR.  MCQUEEN  :  — 

"Got  a  good  start  on  Monday  and  reached  Ramsey's 
for  the  night.  Wolf  Creek  was  reached  for  dinner  Tuesday 
and  Red  Deer  in  the  evening.  Hearing  that  a  train  was  going 
out  early  in  the  morning — likely  the  last  for  the  season — I  went 
down  to  Gaetzboro  and  found  camp-fires,  men,  mules  and 
horses,  all  over  the  site  of  the  future  city.  Finding  no  better 
place  to  rest,  I  went  into  a  box-car  and  got  a  three  hours' 
sleep.  The  cries  of  teamsters  loading  stock  soon  compelled  me 
to  get  up.  Breakfast  was  got  under  circumstances  not  very 
appetizing,  and  I  was  prepared  for  the  journey.  After  the 
usual  shunting,  delays  and  false  starts,  we  got  off  and  reached 
here  at  15.45. 

"  Saw  McLellan  at  Red  Deer  for  a  short  time.  Financial 
outlook  there  gloomy.  He  boarded  the  missionary,  but  got 
nothing,  nor  was  anything  raised  for  anybody.  The  mission- 
ary's conduct  is  inexplicable,  for  he  had  printed  instructions. 
The  board  may  be  paid,  but  nothing  more.  An  ordained  man 
must  be  planted  at  the  Red  Deer,  one  who  will  work  up  the 
field.  The  town  will  be  put  on  the  market  next  spring,  and 
settlement  is  likely  to  increase.  I  find  that  a  good  deal  of  land 
is  being  taken  up,  and  that  settlement  will  likely  proceed 
steadily. 

"  I  shall  submit  the  financial  situation  at  Fort  Saskatchewan, 
etc.,  to  Presbytery  to-morrow  and  write  you  afterwards. 

"With  kind  regards  to  Mrs.  McQueen  and  yourself,  and 
many  thanks  for  your  hospitality  and  friendliness, 

"  In  haste, 

"J.  ROBERTSON." 

In  1890,  he  paid  a  visit  to  British  Columbia  and  was 
humiliated  and  disgusted  to  find  that  on  the  railway  not 
a  passenger  knew  of  any  Presbyterian  missionary  or  Pres- 
byterian church  in  the  mountains,  except  that  one  un- 
usually bright  youth  "had  heard  tell  of  a  Presbyterian 
parson  on  the  Coast  somewheres.  > '  But  more  than  this,  the 
Superintendent  was  shocked  beyond  measure  during  his 
trip  through  British  Columbia,  at  the  terrible  evidences  of 
neglect  everywhere  apparent  in  the  interior  districts  of  the 


324       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Province.  As  a  result  of  this  visit,  the  Columbia  Pres- 
bytery made  a  request  that  his  constituency  should  be 
extended  to  include  British  Columbia.  At  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  same  year  this  was  done,  and  with  such 
good  result  that,  two  years  later,  the  Assembly  was  called 
upon  to  erect  the  Synod  of  British  Columbia,  consisting 
of  the  three  Presbyteries  of  Vancouver  Island,  West- 
minster, and  Kootenay,  together  with  the  Presbytery  of 
Calgary.  His  mission  territory  now  extended  from 
White  River,  Ontario,  to  the  Pacific,  but  his  field  of 
operations  knew  no  limits  other  than  those  that  marked 
the  boundaries  of  the  Dominion.  The  including  of  Brit- 
ish Columbia  within  his  constituency  meant  a  wider 
sphere  of  influence  and  greater  opportunities  of  service, 
but  it  demanded,  as  well,  longer  and  more  toilsome 
journeys,  larger  expenditure  of  vital  energy,  and  more 
complete  sacrifice  of  family  ties.  He  was  reaching  more 
nearly  the  ideal  set  forth  in  those  sweeping  words,  "  Yea, 
and  his  own  life  also." 

So  great  had  been  the  growth  of  settlement  in  the  older 
sections'of  the  West  that  the  Assembly  of  1894  was  asked 
to  erect  four  new  Presbyteries — Superior,  Portage  la 
Prairie,  Melita,  and  Glenboro — making  thirteen  in  all. 
But  in  spite  of  all  he  had  been  able  to  accomplish,  the 
Superintendent  was  forced  to  lament  in  his  report  for  the 
year  that  there  were  25, 000  Presbyterians  somewhere  in 
the  West  uncared  for  by  the  Church.  It  was  a  startling 
announcement,  but  with  no  very  visible  effect,  for  the 
Church  in  Canada  was  but  slowly  waking  to  its  respon- 
sibility and  its  opportunity. 

Two  years  later,  in  1896,  the  Presbytery  of  Ed- 
monton was  erected,  the  most  northerly  in  Canada, 
possibly  in  the  world.  When  one  considers  the  rapidity 
of  expansion,  one  is  not  surprised  that  the  Church  should 
lag  behind,  for  never  in  the  history  of  Christendom  was 


A  LONG  PULL  325 

there  ever  such  a  pace  set  for  the  advancing  line  of  Chris- 
tian conquest. 

In  these  ten  years  the  mission  fields  went  up  from  81 
to  176,  a  gain  of  over  100  %  ;  the  preaching  stations  from 
335  to  652,  a  gain  of  nearly  100  %  j  the  church  buildings 
from  68  to  172,  a  gain  of  152  %  j  the  families  from  3,148 
to  5, 926,  a  gain  of  over  88  %  J  the  communicants  from 
3,956  to  6,773,  a  gain  of  over  71%.  No  wonder  the 
Superintendent  almost  had  to  break  his  heart  in  his  en- 
deavour to  secure  men.  No  wonder  the  Home  Mission 
and  Augmentation  Committees  had  to  appear  before 
General  Assembly  repeating  year  after  year  the  disap- 
pointing story  of  successive  deficits.  While  his  Com- 
mittees loyally  supported  him,  it  was  the  Superintendent 
in  the  long  run  who  had  to  bear  the  brunt  of  the  fight  for 
the  securing  of  men  and  means,  -and  it  is  sad  to  remember 
that,  strive  as  he  might,  the  spectre  of  inadequate  supply 
haunted  him  for  the  greater  part  of  his  life. 

There  was  also  a  continuous  struggle  for  funds.  In 
1888,  for  Western  work,  the  Home  Mission  and  Augmen- 
tation Committees  expended  in  grants  alone  over  $25,000, 
and  yet  were  forced  to  report  to  the  Assembly  a  deficit. 
In  the  following  year  the  deficit  for  Home  Missions  was 
$745,  and  for  Augmentation  the  very  considerable  sum  of 
$3, 768.  These  deficits  sent  the  Superintendent  on  a  tour 
throughout  the  Maritime  Provinces  in  the  autumn  of  that 
year.  The  story  of  a  bit  of  that  eager  hunt  is  packed  into 
a  'characteristic  letter  to  his  wife  written  from  Amherst, 
N.  S.,  under  date  of  November  20,  1889  : 

"  MY  DEAR  WIPE  :  — 

"I  have  not  had  a  letter  from  home  for  along 
time,  but  I  hope  you  are  all  well.  I  am  as  busy  as  I  can 
well  be,  in  corresponding  and  holding  meetings.  Eleven 
meetings  per  week  is  about  the  average,  and  I  will  soon 


32G       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

have  visited  most  of  the  congregations  of  any  size  or 
substance  down  here.  I  have  no  appointments  beyond 
the  5th  of  December,  so  that  I  hope  to  get  home  by  the 
8th  or  10th.  The  meetings  here  have  been  quite  as  suc- 
cessful as  I  expected,  and  I  look  for  $4,000  or  $5,000  un- 
less they  have  all  been  lying,  which  I  cannot  believe.  I 
feel,  too,  that  a  permanent  interest  in  Western  work  is 
created,  and  that  we  shall  have  a  perennial  source  of 
funds.  The  people  have  been  most  hospitable  and  cordial 
in  their  reception  of  me  everywhere.  I  shall  go  back  with 
the  kindest  feelings  towards  all  of  them." 

" Eleven  meetings  per  week!"  This  might  satisfy 
even  so  insatiable  a  worker  as  the  Superintendent,  but  the 
empty  hours  between  meetings  he  fills  in  with  his  inter- 
minable correspondence.  Not  till  after  it  was  too  late, 
did  his  Church  realize  how  much  she  might  have  pro- 
longed his  life  and  extended  his  usefulness  had  she  fur- 
nished him  with  a  secretary.  "  Four  or  five  thousand 
dollars!"  Yes,  and  a  great  deal  more  money  does  he 
carry  from  the  loyal,  warm-hearted  men  of  the  sea- 
provinces,  and  "  warm  feelings"  that  have  never  chilled 
to  this  present.  Those  provinces  have  bred  great  men 
for  Canada,  and  they  were  great  enough  to  know  one  of 
their  own  kind  when  he  appeared  among  them.  But  in 
spite  of  the  Superintendent's  tours,  in  spite  of  the  energy 
and  eloquence  of  the  indefatigable  Conveners  of  Home 
Mission  and  Augmentation,  Dr.  Cochrane  and  Rev.  D.  J. 
Macdonnell,  in  spite  of  the  financial  ability  of  the  Secre- 
tary, Dr.  Warden,  this  deficit  continues  to  clog  the  west- 
ward march  of  the  Church. 

The  General  Assembly  of  1890  is  informed  that  with 
deep  regret  the  Committee  has  found  it  necessary  to  re- 
duce the  salaries  in  Augmented  charges  because  of  insuf- 
ficient funds.  The  General  Assembly  energetically  pro- 
ceeds to  legislate,  but  the  deficits  continue. 


A  LONG  PULL  327 

In  1891  the  matter  is  considered  serious  enough  to  war- 
rant a  Pastoral  Letter  from  the  Moderator.  The  spectre, 
however,  will  not  be  laid,  but  insists  on  appearing  the 
following  year  with  the  Augmentation  report.  The 
situation  is  desperate  enough  to  harden  the  tender  heart 
of  the  Secretary  of  the  Committee,  who  proposes  strenu- 
ous regulations  governing  Augmented  congregations,  and 
a  reduction  of  grants.  But  after  the  Superintendent  has 
pointed  out  that  the  West  is  doing  its  best,  contributing 
the  past  year  some  $238,000,  one-ninth  of  the  entire 
revenue  of  the  Church,  and  after  he  has  given  the  As- 
sembly some  vivid  and  pathetic  pictures  of  the  interiors 
of  manses  in  Augmented  charges,  the  Assembly  will  not 
listen  to  the  proposed  regulations,  much  less  to  reductions 
in  salary.  The  regulations  remain  unchanged.  A 
second  council  of  despair  to  reduce  Augmented  salaries 
by  thirty  dollars,  the  Superintendent  also  succeeds  in 
having  rejected,  and  the  salaries  remain  at  their  normal 
and  surely  meagre  enough  minimum.  There  being  no 
other  hope,  the  Assembly  orders  another  Pastoral  Let- 
ter, to  be  backed  up  by  Deputies  to  Presbyteries. 

Leaving  the  Pastoral  Letter  and  the  Deputies  to  their 
work,  the  Superintendent  again  takes  the  trail.  We  find 
him  in  the  late  autumn  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Yorkton, 
in  Northern  Assiniboia.  His  experiences  in  this  district 
are  set  down  in  a  letter  to  his  wife,  of  date  November  19, 
1892,  and  are  worth  recording  : 

"I  had  a  stormy  time  in  the  West.  Left  Winnipeg 
Saturday,  and  reached  Saltcoats  about  10  p.  M.  A  man 
frantically  came  on  board  the  train  and  shouted  if  Dr. 
Eobertson  was  on  board.  I  assured  him  he  was.  He 
then  told  me  I  would  have  to  come  off  and  marry  a 
couple.  This  I  declined  to  do  until  I  could  see  the  con- 
ductor. I  told  him  the  situation  and  got  him  to  stop  the 
train  till  I  could  marry  these  good  people,  and  the  con- 


328       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

ductor  went  with  me  to  the  hotel.  But  the  bride  was  in 
the  kitchen  working,  ignorant  of  what  was  coming.  She 
was  taken  away,  hurriedly  washed  and  dressed  and 
ushered  into  my  presence.  She  belonged  to  the  Crofters, 
and  I  had  to  marry  partly  in  Gaelic  and  partly  in  Eng- 
lish, but  finally  got  them  made  one.  Started  for  the 
station,  and  got  to  Yorkton  in  good  time.  But  when  I 
reached  there  I  found  the  minister  absent,  and  no  place 
where  I  could  stop,  and  the  night  wild.  I  hunted  round 
and  got  a  place  about  twelve  o'clock,  but  when  I  went  to 
the  room  I  found  it  was  recently  plastered,  and  that  it 
was  not  safe.  I  at  last  had  a  place  pointed  out  to  me 
where  the  people  had  gone  to  bed.  I  knocked  at  the 
door  and  a  woman  appeared.  She  had  no  place.  I  told 
her  I  never  saw  a  woman  stuck  yet  in  such  an  emergency, 
and  that  I  was  quite  prepared  to  sleep  on  the  table  or  on 
the  floor.  She  invited  me  to  go  in,  which  I  did.  She 
went  away  leaving  me  in  the  dark,  and  came  back  telling 
me  the  best  she  could  do  was  to  let  me  in  beside  her  hus- 
band. I  went,  and  slept  soundly,  not  looking  who  slept 
on  the  other  side  of  him,  but  there  were  three  in  bed,  as  I 
found  in  the  morning. 

"  Morning  stormy,  but  I  hired  a  horse  and  drove  out 
eight  miles.  Found  missionary  storm-bound,  and  not  go- 
ing to  station  beyond  at  all.  I  told  him  I  would  go,  and 
instructed  driver  to  take  me  there.  Found  a  small  con- 
gregation, but  was  glad  I  went.  Preached,  and  returned 
to  where  the  missionary  was.  He  had  Communion  serv- 
ice, and  I  preached  and  addressed  people.  Missionary 
remained  all  night,  and  I  returned  to  evening  service. 
"Waited  to  have  the  Crofter  missionary  come  and  take  me 
down  there.  He  did  not  come,  and  I  hired  and  drove 
there.  Found  that  the  storm  was  too  much  for  him,  too, 
and  that  he  never  left  the  house  Sabbath.  Drove  to  Salt- 
coats,  seventeen  miles,  and  went  next  morning  to  Crofters. 


A  LONG  PULL  329 

They  are  badly  off.  I  do  wish  you  would  try  to  get  some 
of  your  ladies  to  get  some  clothiug.  There  are  twenty- 
three  families.  No  crop,  not  even  potatoes.  Held  a 
meeting  that  night  at  Saltcoats.  Next  day  came  to 
Neepawa  and  held  Thanksgiving  service,  and  another  in 
evening  at  Eapid  City.  Got  promise  of  twenty -five  bags 
of  flour  for  Crofters." 

The  Christmas  season  of  that  year  finds  him  still  pur- 
suing with  invincible  pertinacity  the  storm-blown  trails 
of  the  far  Northwest.  The  following  letters  written  to 
his  wife  give  us  a  realistic  picture  of  how  his  days  were 
packed  with  work.  There  is  something  almost  appalling 
in  that  record  of  journeys  and  meetings.  One  does  not 
know  whether  to  wonder  more  at  that  restless,  resistless 
energy  that  drove  him  through  his  work,  or  the  invin- 
cible buoyancy  of  spirit  that  made  him  indifferent  to 
toil,  privation,  and  hardship.  The  first  letter  is  written 
from  Calgary  some  time  in  the  early  part  of  December 
and  is  as  follows  : 

' l  The  Horse  Hills  meeting  was  well  attended.  Thence 
we  drove  to  the  Sturgeon,  but  on  the  way  our  conveyance 
— a  jumper — broke  down.  In  the  old  days  we  could 
easily  have  mended  it,  for  every  one  had  his  pocket  full 
of  shaganappi  and  'babeesh'  (babiche),  but,  alas  !  these 
days  are  past  and  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  try  to 
take  pieces  out  of  the  harness  ;  were  successful,  but  spent 
so  much  time  that  we  lost  our  supper.  The  meeting  was 
largely  attended  and  much  interest  shown.  After  the 
meeting  I  visited  an  old  acquaintance,  Sutherland,  who 
lost  hig  wife  a  year  ago,  and  who  fell  into  a  threshing 
machine  and  saved  his  life  by  his  extraordinary  strength. 
He  is  crippled  for  life,  but  quite  cheerful.  His  daughter 
was  away  and  he  could  not  give  us  anything  to  eat.  "We 
did  not  tell  him  we  had  no  supper.  At  eleven  we  started 
to  drive  twelve  miles  to  Edmonton,  and  reached  it  in  good 


330       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

time.  On  the  evening  of  the  next  day  I  addressed  the 
Edmonton  people  on  mission  work,  and  they  had  a  social 
gathering  afterwards.  I  saw  quite  a  number  of  old  faces 
and  spent  a  pleasant  time. 

"Till  Sabbath  I  spent  my  time  visiting  South  Edmon- 
ton, and  addressing  the  people,  and  organizing  a  mission. 
Preached  twice  in  Edmonton  and  once  in  South  Edmonton 
on  Sabbath,  and  explored  Monday.  Tuesday  I  started 
for  Lacombe,  and  had  a  meeting  in  the  railway  station. 
Wednesday  drove  eighteen  miles  south  to  Red  Deer  and 
held  a  meeting,  and  on  Thursday,  eighteen  miles  here. 
Last  night  we  tried  to  reach  Olds,  eighteen  miles  south- 
west, but  the  driver  failed  to  reach  there  and  we  nearly 
spent  the  night  on  the  prairie.  The  missionary  did  his 
best  to  get  me  through,  but  in  vain.  Stars  were  hidden 
and  we  steered  by  instinct,  or  rather  I  did,  for  he  got 
confused  and  lost  his  bearings.  We  got  within  about 
three  miles  of  the  place  and  fell  into  such  drifts  that  it 
was  deemed  prudent  to  retrace  our  steps.  We  reached 
here  about  1  A.  M.  Mrs.  Buchanan  and  two  other  ladies 
— young  women — were  here  when  we  arrived  and  asked 
us  whether  we  lost  ourselves.  We  replied  no,  that  we 
were  here.  Had  we  lost  the  trail,  then  !  Could  we  lose 
what  we  never  had  ? 

1 1  To-morrow  we  have  the  Communion  dispensed  here. 
Monday  I  go  north  to  Wetaskiwin,  and  return  to  Calgary, 
Tuesday.  I  then  go  to  Canmore,  and  return  to  Olds.  On 
the  24th  I  go  to  McLeod  where  I  was  to  get  a  dish  of  an- 
cient eggs  a  few  years  ago,  but  did  not.  I  then  return, 
after  visiting  Pincher  Creek,  and  go  to  Prince  Albert.  I 
return  and  go  down  along  the  line  of  the  Canadian  Pacific 
expecting  to  reach  Winnipeg  about  the  llth. 

"I  do  not  know  how  long  after,  ere  I  get  to  Ontario, 
but  likely  not  very  long. 

"  To  this  district  a  large  number  of  settlers  are  coming, 


A  LONG  PULL  331 

and  where  we  have  four  missions  now,  we  shall  have  nine 
next  spring." 

One  would  think  that  after  that  terrific  tour,  packed 
with  "  organizing,"  "addressing,"  "  visiting,"  "  explor- 
ing," dashing  through  storms  and  drifts,  bearing  cold 
and  hunger,  sleepless  nights  and  disappointments,  the 
Superintendent  had  earned  his  right  to  a  week's  rest 
in  his  home  with  his  family.  But  he  cannot  reach  them 
and  return  to  his  work  without  a  journey  of  5,000  miles, 
consuming  twelve  or  fourteen  precious  days  and  costing 
more  money  than  he  has  to  spend.  So  he  closes  the  let- 
ter with  the  words : 

UI  was  glad  to  get  so  much  home  news.  I  hope  you 
are  all  well.  I  am  sorry  not  to  be  at  home  on  Christmas 
Day." 

On  the  22d  of  December  he  writes  from  Calgary  as 
follows  : 

"  I  have  just  got  in  from  Olds,  forty  miles  north,  where 
I  held  a  meeting  yesterday,  and  I  go  over  to-morrow 
morning  to  McLeod,  over  100  miles.  The  weather  is 
very  cold  and  stormy,  and  travelling  uncomfortable. 
Monday  I  have  to  go  up  from  McLeod  to  Pincher  Creek, 
a  distance  of  thirty-two  miles,  and  I  fear  it  will  not  be 
comfortable  travelling.  I  expect  to  return  to  McLeod 
Wednesday  to  take  the  train  back  here.  While  at  Ed- 
monton I  had  fine  weather  and  enjoyed  the  trip.  From 
here  I  go  to  Prince  Albert,  and  it  is  likely  the  weather 
there  is  keen.  However,  I  shall  soon  get  through  there. 
I  have  had  word  necessitating,  I  fear,  my  taking  a  trip 
to  Southeastern  Assiniboia  after  returning  from  Prince 
Albert,  and  if  I  do,  I  cannot  go  East  when  I  expected. 
From  Herdmau  I  learned  that  the  Synod  of  British  Co- 
lumbia meets  in  March.  I  want  to  be  present  for  various 
reasons,  and  in  that  case  it  is  scarcely  worth  while  to  go 
East  till  March  when  I  go  to  the  meeting  of  the  Home 


332       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Mission  Committee.  However,  I  shall  decide  nothing 
now,  as  much  depends  on  how  matters  shape  themselves 
for  the  next  two  weeks." 

It  is  because  this  man  will  not  rest  by  day  or  night 
that  his  Committee  find  it  difficult  to  furnish  him  with 
either  men  or  money. 

Before  the  Assembly  of  the  following  year,  the  Super- 
intendent found  time  to  make  a  memorable  trip  down  the 
Fraser  Valley  in  British  Columbia.  Appointments  had 
been  made  at  various  points  throughout  that  district. 
Meantime,  the  Fraser,  swollen  by  the  June  rains,  had 
burst  its  banks  and  rendered  all  the  low-lying  ground  al- 
most impassable.  But  the  Superintendent  was  not  to  be 
denied.  He  must  keep  his  engagements  at  all  costs  and 
at  all  hazards.  And  keep  them  he  does.  He  gives  an 
account  of  some  of  his  experiences  in  the  following  letter 
to  his  wife  : 

"  Calgary,  June  7,  1893. 
"DEAR  WIFE: — 

"  I  reached  here  about  an  hour  ago,  intending  to  wait  for 
the  meeting  of  Presbytery  here  to-morrow.  The  trip  in  British 
Columbia  was,  on  the  whole,  rough,  owing  to  the  late  spring  and 
the  shocking  state  of  the  roads,  but  appointments  were  in 
every  case  kept,  and  I  have  reason  to  be  thankful.  I  walked 
till  my  feet  gave  way,  rode  where  I  could,  drove  where  it  was 
practicable,  took  canoe,  rowboat,  steamer,  and  train.  Had 
I  a  chance  to  try  a  balloon  I  would  have  tested  and  tasted  all 
the  usual  methods  of  travel.  No  doubt  I  would  have  fared 
better  had  I  been  web-footed  on  several  occasions,  but  in  the 
absence  of  the  webbed  foot  I  was  glad  to  own  feet  sufficiently 
large  to  prevent  me  from  sinking  everywhere.  For  the  first 
time  in  almost  twenty  years  I  got  drenched  to  the  skin,  and 
had  the  luxury  of  sitting  in  the  bottom  of  a  canoe  for  hours, 
which  was  constantly  shipping  enough  of  the  tawny  Fraser  to 
sink  it,  but  for  frequent  bailing.  And  when  I  tried  to  buy  a 
suit  of  underclothing  I  was  denied  the  privilege,  and  helped 
myself  of  the  shelf  without  leave.  But  so  far  I  have  escaped 
arrest. 


A  LONG  PULL  333 

"  After  business  is  over  here  I  go  to  Winnipeg,  where  I 
am  to  remain  for  a  day,  and  then  I  go  East.  Kisses  for 
Mamma,  Tina,  Jim,  Stan  and  Terry. 

"  YOUR  HUSBAND." 

That  year  the  Home  Mission  Fund  is  saved  by  a  lucky 
bequest,  but  no  such  good  fortune  befalling  the  Augmen- 
tation Fund,  the  annual  deficit  with  the  consequent  re- 
duction in  salary,  is  reported  to  the  Assembly,  the 
Convener  taking  occasion  sadly  to  remind  the  Church 
that  for  years  past  this  average  deficit  in  the  Fund  has 
amounted  to  almost  $4,000  per  annum.  That  is  one  side 
of  the  picture.  The  other  side  is  presented  by  the 
Superintendent  who,  in  his  address,  gives  an  account 
of  all  his  various  journeyings  and  labours,  reports  ex- 
pansion and  consolidation,  calls  attention  to  the  ominous 
presence  of  a  colony  of  700  Mormons  in  Southern  Alberta, 
and  with  this  last  item  of  information  presents  a  resolu- 
tion of  the  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee  asking 
that  a  mission  be  established  among  these  people.  The  As- 
sembly, however,  has  no  money  for  Presbyterians,  much 
less  for  Mormons,  and  the  resolution  of  the  Committee 
is  hastily  forgotten.  The  Superintendent  gives  a  stirring 
report  of  mining  activity  in  British  Columbia,  and  de- 
mands the  attention  of  the  Church  for  incoming  miners. 
But  all  to  no  purpose.  The  Home  Mission  Fund  has 
been  practically  wiped  out,  the  Augmentation  Fund  is 
in  an  even  less  healthy  condition,  necessitating  a  cut  in 
salaries.  The  miners,  too,  must  be  forgotten.  The 
Superintendent  further  announces  that  the  immigration 
for  the  year  has  reached  the  inspiring  figure  of  38,000, 
and  that  development  will  be  rapid  in  the  spring.  The 
Assembly  is  duly  inspired,  but  is  hopeless  in  regard  to 
funds. 

The  horizon  is  somewhat  dark,  but  at  one  point  there 
is  a  light  breaking.  The  Convener  reports  that  during 


334       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

the  past  year  lie  had  issued  a  commission  to  the  Rev. 
C.  W.  Gordon,  who,  on  his  return  from  his  mission  in 
the  mountains  a  year  ago,  had  proceeded  to  Britain  for 
a  year's  study,  after  which  he  had  been  spending  some 
months  in  presenting  the  claims  of  the  Northwest  to  the 
Churches  in  the  Homeland.  Mr.  Gordon  had  received 
so  hearty  a  welcome  and  was  meeting  with  such  large 
success,  that  the  Convener  was  hopeful  that  very  sub- 
stantial help  would  be  given  by  the  British  Churches. 
The  Assembly  is  greatly  relieved  and  much  rejoiced  that 
at  length  the  home  Churches  are  beginning  to  take  an 
interest  in  their  children  over  seas,  passes  resolutions 
and  dissolves,  much  comforted. 

The  financial  depression  continues  throughout  the 
year,  and  into  1894.  'The  Home  Mission  Committee 
meets  the  Assembly  with  the  gloomy  announcement 
that  the  receipts  of  the  Fund  have  been  $6,000  less  than 
those  of  last  year,  and  that  the  situation  has  been  saved 
only  by  special  donations  and  grants  from  Churches 
abroad.  The  Augmentation  Fund,  too,  is  in  a  deplorable 
condition,  the  only  relief  in  the  situation  being  achieved 
by  the  simple  but  hardly  satisfactory  method  of  a  further 
cut  in  salaries. 

The  Superintendent  reports  a  large  increase  in  the 
Mormon  colony  in  Alberta,  so  large,  indeed,  that  the 
Calgary  Presbytery  was  constrained  on  its  own  motion 
to  inaugurate  a  mission,  the  funds  for  which  had  been 
secured  by  the  Superintendent.  Work  had  been  begun, 
too,  among  the  foreign  peoples  who  were  settling  in  the 
West.  Two  missionaries  were  to  work  among  the  Ice- 
landers, one  among  the  Hungarians,  one  among  the 
Germans,  one  among  the  Scandinavians.  All  this  in- 
volved the  Church  in  larger  expenditure.  Retrenchment 
was  impossible.  The  Church  must  advance.  But  how 
to  advance  without  funds,  the  Assembly  knows  not. 


A  LONG  PULL  335 

The  return  of  their  deputy  from  the  British  Churches 
is  most  opportune.  Mr.  Gordon  is  warmly  received  as 
he  presents  his  report.  And  a  remarkable  report  it  is. 
Great  Britain,  but  especially  Scotland,  is  the  happy 
hunting-ground  for  all  impecunious  missionary  schemes. 
It  had  been  difficult  to  gain  access  to  the  congregations, 
but  access  having  been  effected  through  the  good  offices 
of  the  various  Colonial  Committees  and  of  personal 
friends  deeply  interested  in  Canada,  the  Northwest 
and  its  magnificent  appeal  had  touched  the  hearts  and 
the  imaginations  of  the  people.  To  such  an  extent  was 
this  true,  that  Mr.  Gordon  was  able  to  report  the  assum- 
ing of  the  support  of  between  forty  and  fifty  missions 
on  the  part  of  the  British  Churches  for  a  period  of  from 
three  to  five  years  at  $250  eaeh.  This  truly  generous 
response  on  the  part  of  the  home  Churches,  dissipates 
in  large  measure  the  financial  gloom  overhanging  the 
Home  Mission  situation,  and  encourages  the  Superintend- 
ent and  those  associated  with  him  to  a  still  more  vigorous 
prosecution  of  their  work. 

In  1895  the  Church  manifests  its  appreciation  of  the 
Superintendent  and  his  work  by  unanimously  electing 
him  to  the  highest  office  within  its  gift.  It  has  been 
a  hard  year  financially  throughout  the  Dominion,  and 
the  West  has  not  escaped  the  general  financial  stringency. 
In  British  Columbia  there  have  been  serious  floods  on  the 
Fraser,  and  a  large  section  of  the  country  is,  therefore, 
in  straits.  The  Superintendent  reports  that  the  immi- 
gration for  the  year  shows  a  slight  increase,  that  oppor- 
tunities are  greater  than  ever,  the  needs  of  the  country 
also  greater.  In  the  Cariboo  district,  with  a  population 
of  3,000,  about  half  that  number  are  Presbyterian,  and 
without  a  single  missionary.  Work  among  the  Mormons 
is  proving  more  difficult  than  was  anticipated.  Its 
progress  is  not  satisfactory,  but  it  cannot  be  abandoned. 


336       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBERTSON 

The  work  among  the  foreigners,  too,  is  making  larger 
demands.  With  the  help  of  Old  Country  moneys,  how- 
ever, the  year  closes  without  a  deficit. 

The  election  of  Dr.  G.  L.  Mackay  in  1894,  and  of  Dr. 
Robertson  in  1895,  the  outstanding  representatives  of  the 
Foreign  and  Home  Mission  fields,  to  the  office  of  Modera- 
tor, had  brought  these  two  great  departments  of  Church 
work  into  prominence  and  inevitably,  to  a  certain  extent, 
into  competition  for  the  attention  and  support  of  the 
Church.  On  retiring  from  the  office,  the  great  represent- 
ative of  Foreign  Missions  had  preached  a  powerful  ser- 
mon, setting  forth  the  claims  and  the  opportunities  of 
that  work  to  which  he  had  given  his  life.  In  accepting 
office,  the  great  representative  of  Home  Missions  in  the 
Canadian  Church  made  the  following  graceful  reference 
to  Foreign  Mission  work  : 

"  These  are  two  sisters,  the  one  is  younger  or  perhaps 
has  more  charms  than  the  other,  still  an  elder  sister  has 
a  warm  place  in  the  heart  of  the  Church,  and  that  we 
found  when  an  effort  was  put  forth  recently  to  relieve  the 
Home  Mission  deficit. " 

For  his  retiring  sermon  he  chose  a  text  usually 
selected  for  a  Foreign  Mission  address  :  "  But  ye  shall 
receive  power  after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you  ; 
and  ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  Me  both  in  Jerusalem  and 
in  all  Judea  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth. " 

The  sermon  was  a  noble  exposition  of  the  principles 
underlying  all  mission  work,  and  a  splendid  apology  for 
the  view  that  held  all  mission  work  to  be  one.  But,  as 
was  expected  of  him,  he  proceeded  to  give  a  lucid  and 
comprehensive  review  of  the  work  accomplished  in  the 
Canadian  West  during  the  past  fifteen  years.  It  was  a 
sermon  worthy  of  the  great  theme,  and  some  of  its  periods 
deserved  to  live  in  the  memory  of  the  Church.  And  it  is 


A  LONG  PULL  33T 

to  be  regretted  that  no  report  remains  beyond  a  single 
reference  in  the  press  of  the  day,  to  the  strength  and 
dignity  of  the  utterance.  In  dealing  with  the  difficulty 
of  overlapping,  the  following  sentences  are  preserved. 
After  frank  acknowledgment  of  the  evil,  he  proceeds  to 
say  : 

"  Overlapping  could  have  been  prevented  in  many 
cases,  and  the  evil  mitigated  if  our  own  Church  had  made 
up  its  mind  to  occupy  its  missions  continuously.  The 
withdrawal  of  forty  or  fifty  missions  in  the  autumn,  leav- 
ing families  like  sheep  without  a  shepherd,  is  an  invita- 
tion to  another  Church  to  step  in — an  invitation  seldom 
declined. 

"  There  is  some  overlapping,  but  less  than  is  commonly 
reported.  The  returns  to  Assembly  show  good  value  for 
money  spent.  No  good  money  thrown  into  muskegs. 
But  where  there  is  overlapping  is  our  Church  always  the 
offender  ?  We  offend  less  than  some  others.  But  if  we 
occupy  a  field,  build  a  church,  etc.,  etc.,  are  we  to  sneak 
away  because  others  come  in?  There  is  no  breach  of 
Christian  comity.  A  timid,  questioning,  penurious 
policy  can  only  win  contempt  and  defeat.  Moreover, 
Presbyterianism  represents  principles  that  have  done  man 
and  religion  rare  service  in  the  past — are  these  not  to 
find  expression  and  exposition  all  over  the  West?  To 
play  their  part  in  shaping  the  national  life  ?  Let  over- 
lapping be  reduced  to  a  minimum,  but  let  no  deserving 
group  of  Presbyterians  complain  that  their  Church  had 
forsaken  them,  suppressed  her  principles  to  save  her 
pocket.'7 

There  is  a  ring  of  sturdy  manliness  about  this  declara- 
tion that  cannot  fail  to  win  the  approval  of  all  self- 
respecting  Presbyterians.  In  a  single  paragraph  the 
sermon  depicts  the  marvellous  growth  of  twenty-one 
years : 


338       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"  Since  the  union,  twenty-one  years  ago,  over  200  mis- 
sions have  become  congregations.  Under  our  charge  are 
400  missions  still,  with  1,200  stations  (one-sixth  of  the 
families  of  the  Church,  one- ninth  of  her  communicants). 
Twenty  years  ago,  one  feeble  Presbytery  in  the  West,  now 
thirteen.  Preaching  places  increased  from  35  to  818, 
communicants  from  500  to  19,000.  The  strength  and 
prestige  of  the  Church  are  increased  by  these  gains,  ena- 
bling her  to  undertake  and  carry  out  work  that  else  would 
have  been  far  beyond  her.  The  spiritual  life  is  deepen- 
ing ;  not  one  point  has  been  abandoned ;  the  religious 
barometer  is  rising." 

It  is  a  great  Home  Mission  Assembly,  but  the  report 
from  the  Home  Mission  Committee  is  not  calculated  to 
quicken  the  enthusiasm.  While  the  year  closes  with  a 
balance  of  $4,000  to  the  good,  this  is  not  due  to  increased 
liberality  on  the  part  of  the  Church,  but  rather  to  the 
practice  of  the  severest  economy  in  administration,  and 
to  the  liberal  assistance  from  British  Churches.  The 
Convener,  Dr.  Cochrane,  finds  it  necessary  to  warn 
the  Assembly  solemnly  that  unless  the  support  of  the 
Church  for  this  branch  of  its  work  reach  a  point  far 
above  any  yet  touched,  retrenchment  is  inevitable. 

But  there  is  no  idea  of  retrenchment  in  the  mind  of  the 
Superintendent,  nor  in  the  minds  of  the  men  in  the 
West.  Indeed,  retrenchment  is  the  last  thing  thought  of 
there.  The  Calgary  Presbytery  has  grown  too  big  for 
satisfactory  administration,  and  hence  upon  its  northern 
confines  the  new  Presbytery  of  Edmonton  is  erected,  mak- 
ing fourteen  in  all  now  in  that  part  of  Canada  lying  west 
of  the  Great  Lakes.  All  this  expansion  means  larger 
financial  support,  and  realizing  how  inadequate  are  the 
present  sources  of  supply,  and  remembering  that  in  some 
cases  the  period  of  supporting  their  missions  on  the  part 
of  Churches  in  Britain  secured  by  Mr.  Gordon  has 


A  LONG  PULL  339 

elapsed,  the  Committee  resolves  to  send  their  Superin- 
tendent as  a  deputy  to  the  Motherland,  to  lay  the  facts 
before  the  Churches  there,  and  to  invite  their  continued 
support  and,  if  possible,  in  even  larger  measure. 

There  was  another  cause  that  weighed  with  the  Com- 
mittee, and  one,  the  ominous  significance  of  which  at 
the  time  was  not  fully  understood.  There  were  all  too 
evident  signs  upon  the  Superintendent  of  Missions  that 
his  iron  constitution  and  sinewy  frame  were  at  last  be- 
ginning to  feel  the  strain  of  those  fifteen  years  of  toils 
and  trials  immeasurable.  And  so  he  was  sent  across  the 
sea  for  a  change  and  rest,  they  said.  A  change  it  was, 
true  enough  ;  but  rest  was  to  him  impossible  while  his 
work  was  undone. 

In  the  autumn  of  1896,  Dr.  Kobertson  sailed  for  Scot- 
land, and  with  the  interval  of  but  a  single  Sabbath,  set 
out  at  once  on  his  quest  for  money.  His  first  difficulty, 
and  it  proved  his  greatest,  was  to  get  access  to  the  peo- 
ple. The  way  was  blocked  ;  the  Church  treasurer  or  the 
minister  not  unfrequently  stood  on  guard.  Then,  too, 
there  were  countless  prior  claims  pressed  upon  the  Chris- 
tians of  Scotland.  To  Mr.  Gordon  he  writes  some  weeks 
after  his  arrival,  as  follows  : 

' '  The  Established  Church  people  have  a  large  Foreign 
Mission  debt,  and  are  holding  meetings  in  every  centre 
and  canvassing  in  every  quarter  to  wipe  it  out.  It  would 
seem,  from  what  was  said  here  by  Lord  Low,  Lord  Pol- 
warth,  Dr.  Macgregor,  Dr.  McLeod,  and  others,  that  the 
good  name  of  the  Church  was  involved,  and  for  honour 
men  will  fight,  when  they  would  not  even  strive  to  enter 
in  at  the  strait  gate.  And  the  Free  Church  and  the 
United  Presbyterian  have  their  Foreign  Mission  deficits, 
too,  and  debt  is  heard  from  all  parts  of  the  land.  And 
in  Edinburgh,  central  congregations  are  losing  by  re- 
moval to  the  suburbs,  and  the  suburbs  have  to  build 


340       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

more  spacious  and  pretentious  structures  to  attract  and 
accommodate  the  newcomers,  and  neither  class  feels  able 
to  assume  new  burdens.  And,  truth  to  tell,  ministers 
are  not  enthusiastic  over  the  scheme.  Nothing  could  be 
finer  than  the  spirit  shown  in  the  Presbytery,  but  when 
you  ask  for  an  opportunity  of  addressing  the  congrega- 
tion— well,  that  is  another  matter.'7 

Further  on  he  says  : 

"This  seems  the  happy  hunting-ground  for  all  schemes 
and  plans.  Has  an  Irish  minister  a  church  to  build,  a 
manse  to  repair,  or  a  hall  to  roof,  he  must  come  to  Glas- 
gow. Has  a  Highlander  lost  his  cow,  his  boat,  or  his 
bonnet,  he  must  come  to  Glasgow  to  get  wherewith  to 
buy  a  new  one.  And  as  for  Colonial  schemes,  French 
Canadians,  Chiniquy,  the  Cape,  West  Australia,  Cana- 
dian Northwest,  they  all  and  a  dozen  other  schemes  pre- 
sent their  claims,  and  this  every  year,  besides  Bible  So- 
cieties, Tract  Societies,  Home  Missions,  Church  building, 
Foreign  Missions.  The  trouble  is  that  a  select  few  are 
always  approached,  while  a  large  number  of  comfortable 
people  are  not  come-at-able.  But  Pessimism  never  helped 
a  cause,  and  I  am  not  going  to  say  anything  more  of 
this." 

There  is  no  strain  of  pessimism  or  of  cowardice  in  his 
blood,  and  so,  making  no  complaint,  but  calling  upon  all 
his  resources  of  full  and  detailed  knowledge,  of  courtesy 
and  tact,  of  skill  and  energy,  he  goes  at  his  work  till  by 
sheer  dogged  perseverance  he  makes  his  way  into  the 
pulpit  and  thence  in  short  order  into  the  hearts  of  his 
hearers.  The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  his  wife 
makes  good  reading  to  us  who  love  to  remember  his 
manner  with  the  people  : 

"Last  Sabbath  the  minister  in  introducing  me  said  he 
did  not  think  they  could  give  anything,  but  that  I  wished 
to  address  them  and  that  he  could  not  well  refuse,  but 


A  LONG  PULL  341 

that  while  they  could  give  no  money  they  would  give 
their  moral  support  and  their  prayers  !  What  could  you 
do  after  that?  I  was  nettled  and  spoke  out.  I  told  them 
that  if  they  would  talk  in  that  way,  they  must  allow  me 
to  analyze  their  case.  If  they  could  give  but  simply 
would  not,  how  much  was  their  moral  support  worth  f 
A  good  deal  less  than  nothing.  And  if  they  were  to 
pray,  they  should  be  able  to  say,  *  Lord,  Thou  knowest 
we  have  nothing  and  cannot  help  this  work,  deserving 
as  we  believe  it  to  be ;  incline  the  hearts  of  those  who 
have,  to  help  it  forward.'  God  would  hear  such  a  prayer, 
but  I  was  afraid  He  would  have  little  patience  with  the 
man  who  prayed  that  others  less  able  might  give  to  save 

his   pocket.     Some  smiled  aloud  and  Professor  D , 

who  was  present,  said  that  whatever  the  minister  said, 
they  would  try  to  see  what  could  be  done.  He  was  much 
pleased  with  the  presentation  of  the  case,  and  promised 
help." 

The  good  people  of  Scotland  are  a  long-suffering  and 
much-hunted  folk,  but  they  are  people  of  sense  and  of 
conscience.  None  in  the  world  know  better  a  good  in- 
vestment, and  none  in  the  world  respond  more  readily  to 
the  claims  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  Towards  the  end 
of  his  stay,  he  writes  as  follows  in  regard  to  the  results  of 
his  mission  : 

"  Edinburgh  has  responded  fairly.  A  number  of  them 
thought  that  three  years  would  end  the  matter,  and  since 
these  have  come  to  an  end,  they  are  of  the  opinion  that 
no  more  should  be  asked.  Dr.  Hood  Wilson's  people 
promised,  as  you  know,  for  three  years,  but  will  go  on. 
St.  Andrew's  '  ditto.'  Dr.  John  Smith  was  telling  me  his 
people  were  much  interested,  and  that  I  might  depend 
on  their  continuing  theirs,  too.  A  week  ago  last  Sabbath 
I  was  in  Free  St.  George's,  and  I  am  informed  they  will 
continue.  Dr.  Barbour  told  me  he  would  give  £50  as  for 


342       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

the  past  three  years,  and  give  ine  £100  this  year  for  the 
Building  Fund.  Sheriff  Jamieson  gives  me  £10  a  year  for 
five  years  for  the  Building  Fund.  Druinniond's  people 
(United  Presbyterian,  Lothian  Road)  will  continue,  and 
Mr.  Williamson's  people  who  gave  nothing  last  year,  are 
taking  the  matter  up  and  will  report.  I  told  you,  I  think, 
Morningside  Free  Church  promises  £60  for  three  years. 
.  .  .  I  addressed  Dr.  Donald  McLeod's  congregation 
last  Sabbath.  He  brusquely  told  me  in  the  vestry  not  to 
ask  for  money,  for  they  had  none  to  give.  He  took  the 
devotional  part  of  the  service,  but  gave  me  twenty -five 
minutes,  then  I  was  to  engage  in  prayer,  give  out  a  hymn 
to  sing,  and  pronounce  the  benediction.  After  the  hymn 
was  sung  he  came  to  the  front  of  the  platform,  told  the 
people  what  he  had  said  to  me,  but  frankly  stated  that 
the  address  had  caused  him  to  change  his  mind.  He 
offered  to  be  one  of  twenty-five  to  give  £2  a  year,  and 
quite  an  amount  was  got  at  the  close.  He  told  me  yester- 
day he  was  to  follow  the  matter  up  to-morrow,  and  ex- 
pected to  get  the  balance  of  the  £50.  Lord  Overtoun  I 
saw,  and  he  gave  me  £200  for  building,  and  promised  to 
give  £100  a  year  for  the  next  four  years,  part  for  building 
and  part  for  support  of  a  missionary,  as  we  might  decide. 
I  think  £50  should  go  for  each.  Mr.  R.  S.  Allan  gives 
me  £100  for  building,  and  I  have  promises  of  more,  but 
can  tell  nothing  as  yet  as  to  how  they  will  pan  out." 

It  is  impossible  for  him  to  map  out  any  orderly  itiner- 
ary. He  must  suit  other  people's  convenience  rather 
than  his  own,  and  go  where  and  when  he  can  find  entrance. 
So  from  Glasgow  to  Dundee,  from  Dundee  to  Edinburgh, 
from  Edinburgh  to  Aberdeen,  from  Aberdeen  to  London, 
from  London  to  Liverpool,  he  journeys,  and  having  com- 
pleted his  work  in  England  and  Scotland,  he  crosses  over 
to  Ireland  for  a  short  but  vigorous  campaign  there.  It 
is  hard  work  and  often  discouraging.  Sabbath-days  and 


A  LONG  PULL  343 

week-days  he  fills  in  with  addresses,  sermons,  interviews, 
journey  ings  and  unceasing  correspondence,  till  done  out, 
he  takes  steamer  for  home. 

On  his  homeward  trip,  unfitted  as  he  is  for  the  sea- 
voyage,  he  falls  terribly  ill.  But  once  on  land,  his 
strength  quickly  returns  and  he  hurries  across  the  conti- 
nent to  Winnipeg,  where  he  appears  once  more  in  the 
midst  of  his  brethren  convened  in  General  Assembly,  and 
receives  such  a  welcome  from  them  as  it  is  given  few  men 
to  receive. 

The  Assembly  is  busy  with  its  legislation,  but  nothing 
will  do  but  that  he  shall  stand  up  where  they  can  see  him 
and  listen  once  more  to  his  voice.  He  cannot  report  any 
great  improvement  in  health,  and  we  can  all  see  that  he 
is  worn  and  weary,  but  he  has  met  with  great  kindness 
and  his  visit  has  not  been  without  success.  In  the  even- 
ing, in  a  speech  of  great  vigour,  he  recounts  his  experi- 
ences in  the  Homeland.  He  has  made  money  out  of  it 
for  the  Church,  nearly  $12,000,  and  support  for  over  forty 
missions.  But  the  Church  is  doubtful  whether  it  has  not 
paid  somewhat  too  dearly  for  these  financial  returns,  in 
the  expenditure  of  the  life  and  strength  of  the  Superin- 
tendent of  Missions. 


XXXII 

THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE— THE  YUKON 

IN  the  summer  of  1897  the  eyes  of  the  civilized  world 
were  suddenly  turned  upon  that  part  of  the  Do- 
minion lying  between  Alaska  and  the  Eocky  Moun- 
tains, the  Yukon.  One  word  whispered  on  the  banks  of 
the  Klondike  Eiver  reverberated  around  the  world,  the 
magic,  mighty  word  "gold."  From  all  the  continents 
and  from  the  islands  of  the  sea,  they  came,  men  of  all 
nations,  of  all  colours,  of  all  tongues,  crowding,  pressing, 
struggling,  fighting  their  way  to  the  placer  gravel  reaches 
of  the  Klondike  and  its  various  tributaries.  At  first  in 
scores,  then  in  hundreds,  then  in  thousands  and  in  tens 
of  thousands,  they  flooded  the  river-bottoms,  digging, 
scratching,  washing,  fighting  for  gold.  It  was  in  some 
ways  the  wildest,  maddest  rush  ever  seen  on  this  conti- 
nent. At  first  the  more  reckless  and  adventurous  only 
pressed  in,  but  as  the  gold  began  to  flow  out,  mad  lust 
seized  upon  cool-headed  and  sober  business  men  from  all 
parts  of  the  world. 

They  are  all  interested  in  gold.  But  there  was  one 
man  who  had  stood  upon  the  Vancouver  wharves  piled 
high  with  outfits  and  stores,  eagerly  scanning  the  crowds 
of  gold-seekers  fighting  for  a  place  on  the  outgoing 
steamers,  in  whose  heart  there  was  no  thought  of  gold, 
but  of  men.  That  man  was  James  Eobertson,  the  Super- 
intendent of  Western  Missions  for  Canada. 

Already  ten  thousand  men,  some  said  twenty,  had  gone 
north  to  tear  their  fortunes  from  the  frozen  placer- beds 

344 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         345 

of  the  Klondike,  and  with  them  had  gone  the  rumseller, 
the  gambler,  the  courtezan,  the  pimp,  the  vile  parasitic 
vermin  from  the  city  slums,  but  not  a  single  missionary. 
The  thought  kindled  a  fire  in  his  heart  that  burned  ever 
hotter  and  fiercer.  Something  must  be  done,  and  that 
straightway. 

On  his  way  back  from  the  Pacific  Coast  he  paused  at 
Winnipeg  and  there  consulted  .with  the  Rev.  C.  W. 
Gordon,  who  was  at  that  time  secretary  of  the  British 
Canadian  Missions,  and  was  acting  as  assistant  to  the 
Superintendent  in  his  Western  work.  What  was  to  be 
done  ?  Plainly  only  one  thing.  A  man  must  be  selected, 
outfitted  and  sent  north  forthwith.  Navigation  would 
soon  close  in  that  northland,  rendering  travel  difficult. 
It  was  necessary  to  act  at  once.  True,  it  was  a  matter  for 
the  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee,  but  long  be- 
fore that  Committee  could  meet,  the  time  for  action  would 
be  past.  The  Superintendent  could  trust  the  Committee 
to  support  him  in  wise  action.  So  to  find  the  man. 

In  Mr.  Gordon's  study  they  sat,  the  Blue  Book  on  the 
table,  the  Superintendent  canvassing  the  names  of  avail- 
able men  one  by  one.  Not  every  man  would  do  for  this 
mission.  He  must  be  a  man  of  physical  strength,  sound 
in  wind  and  limb,  of  common  sense,  sane  and  strong. 
He  must  possess  high  moral  courage,  lofty  spirituality, 
tender  sympathy  ;  moreover,  he  must  be  unmarried.  One 
by  one  the  Superintendent  named  the  men,  rejecting  one 
after  another  for  various  causes. 

"Mr.  A  too  weak,  Mr.  B  too  lazy,  Mr.  C  cannot  be 
spared  from  his  present  position,  Mr.  D  married,  Mr.  E 
too  worldly,  could  not  be  trusted  in  the  presence  of  gold, 
Mr.  F  too  fat,  couldn't  climb  the  hills,  Mr.  G  too  colour- 
less in  his  theology,  not  positive  enough,  Mr.  H  not 
enough  red  blood  in  his  heart,  no  sympathy." 

And  so  through  the  list.     The  suitable  are  needed  in 


346       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

their  present  positions  ;  those  who  can  be  spared  are  un- 
suitable for  this  first  adventure.  What  of  the  graduat- 
ing men  in  the  colleges  ?  None  that  the  Superintendent 
knows  to  be  suitable  can  be  found  in  the  East.  What 
of  Manitoba  College!  Surely  in  this  Western  college 
it  is,  if  anywhere,  the  man  should  be  found.  But  in 
the  graduating  class  no  suitable  man  appears.  Sud- 
denly there  comes  to  Mr.  Gordon  the  suggestion  of  a 
name. 

"  I  know  a  man  for  you.  He  would  suit  you  well,  but 
he  is  only  in  his  second  year." 

"  Who  is  he?" 

"A  young  Irishman,  B.  M.  Dickey." 

"  He's  our  man.     I  know  him." 

a  But  he  is  not  ordained." 

The  Superintendent  looked  at  his  friend  through  half- 
closed  eyes.  "  We'll  ordain  him,"  he  said  with  prompt 
decision. 

The  younger  man,  accustomed  as  he  was  to  the  re- 
sourcefulness of  his  chief,  was  startled  at  this  calm  pro- 
posal to  assume  Assembly  powers,  and  stated  his  fear 
that  even  for  the  resourceful  Superintendent  this  might 
prove  impossible.  But  not  at  all.  The  Superintendent 
had  in  his  mind  an  ancient  regulation  permitting  the  or- 
dination for  special  service,  of  students  who  had  com- 
pleted their  second  year.  The  interview  closed  with  a 
line  of  action  clearly  determined.  Mr.  Gordon  was  to 
see  Mr.  Dickey,  who  was  a  member  of  his  congregation, 
and  prepare  him  for  the  formal  call  of  the  Superintend- 
ent. The  story  of  the  result  of  this  call  is  told  by  Mr. 
Dickey  himself : 

"  No  man  who  ever  met  him  escaped  altogether  the 
spell  of  his  personality.  I  experienced  it  perhaps  more 
than  some  others,  in  1897.  Probably  you  will  remember 
that  at  the  close  of  the  summer  you  told  me  that  Dr.  Rob- 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         347 

ertson  and  you  had  decided  to  ask  me  to  go  to  the  Yukon 
for  two  years.  I  was  so  much  astonished  that  I  remained 
silent.  The  disappointment  at  home  where  I  was  ex- 
pected soon,  the  interruption  in  my  study  and,  I  suppose, 
the  unknown  perils  and  hardships  of  such  a  journey,  as 
well  as  the  responsibility  of  so  many  souls,  weighed  upon 
me  overwhelmingly.  Seeing  this,  you  asked  me  to  go 
back  to  the  college,  think  and  pray  over  it,  and  come  to 
no  decision  till  after  Convocation.  In  the  meantime,  my 
friends  and  the  professors  advised  against  it.  I  went  to 
Convocation  without  having  seen  my  duty.  It  was  all 
like  a  dream  to  me,  till  Dr.  Robertson  rose  to  speak.  He 
spoke,  as  he  always  did,  from  a  soul  on  fire.  After  a  few 
introductory  sentences,  he  told  us  of  his  visit  to  the  Coast 
and  what  he  had  seen  there — the  steamers  leaving  the 
piers,  all  crowded  with  eager  gold-seekers  bound  for  the 
Yukon.  Then  folding  his  arms  and  closing  his  eyes  in 
his  characteristic  manner,  he  said  : 

Ui  These  men  have  souls.  Some  of  them  will  make 
fortunes  and  be  tempted  to  destruction  ;  some  will  be  dis- 
appointed in  their  search  ;  all  will  endure  hardships,  and 
many  of  them  will  die  ;  many  will  be  broken  down.  We 
must  send  with  them  some  one  to  tell  them  of  the  treasure 
more  precious  than  gold,  some  one  to  warn  them  in  their 
day  of  prosperity,  or  remind  them  in  their  day  of  ca- 
lamity, that  God  reigneth,  some  one  to  stand  by  the  dy- 
ing bed  and  point  men  to  Christ.  These  men  who  are 
facing  a  thousand  perils  have  grit,  courage,  endurance ; 
we  must  send  a  man  to  turn  the  faces  of  these  strong  men 
heavenward/ 

" Later  on  he  added,  'God  has  given  us  an  oppor- 
tunity which  we  dare  not  neglect.  We  have  asked  a 
student  of  this  college  to  go  to  the  Yukon,  and  I  believe 
he  will  hear  in  our  request  the  call  of  God.7 

"  You  will  understand  how  such  an  address  appealed 


34:8       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

to  niy  heart  as  no  other  ever  did,  and  I  hesitated  DO 
longer.  Aiid  I  think  that  was  a  fair  example  of  the  way 
he  managed  to  get  men  for  the  difficult  outposts." 

To  Mr.  Dickey  that  Convocation  speech  was  memorable 
indeed.  It  largely  determined  for  him  the  whole  course 
of  his  future  life.  He  had  already  planned  to  visit  his 
home  and  his  mother  in  Ireland,  in  the  spring  after 
graduation.  He  had  still  a  year  of  study  before  him,  but 
to  him  the  call  sounded  clear  and  plain,  and  having 
heard,  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  friends  and  in  spite  of 
the  remonstrance  of  professors  unwilling  to  see  him  break 
his  course,  he  accepted,  and  at  once  began  his  prepara- 
tions for  what  was  in  that  day  regarded  as  an  enterprise 
involving  very  considerable  hardship  and  no  small 
danger. 

He  was  designated  to  his  mission-field  in  a  solemn 
service  held  in  St.  Stephen's  Church,  in  which  Professor 
Hart,  Professor  Baird,  Sir  Thomas  Taylor,  and  his  own 
minister,  Rev.  C.  W.  Gordon,  took  part.  And  early  in 
October  he  left  for  the  port  of  Skagway,  pausing  in  Van- 
couver long  enough  to  be  ordained. 

The  Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee,  meeting  in 
October,  swept  off  its  feet  by  the  enthusiastic  report  from 
the  Superintendent  in  regard  to  the  great  rush  of  miners 
and  gold-seekers  to  the  Klondike,  and  the  appointment 
of  the  Rev.  R.  M.  Dickey  as  first  missionary,  approved 
of  the  action  of  the  Superintendent  and  instructed  the 
Convener  to  "  issue  a  check  for  Mr.  Dickey's  travelling 
expenses  and  salary  to  date." 

In  the  midst  of  this  adventure  there  came  news  that 
smote  the  heart  of  the  Church  with  a  sudden  foreboding, 
which  is  contained  in  the  following  brief  note  to  Mr. 
Gordon  : 

* 1 1  am  still  not  well.  I  am  afraid  that  something 
serious  is  the  matter.  I  was  consulting  Dr.  Gilbert  Gor- 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         349 

don  this  afternoon,  and  am  to  see  him  again  in  the  morn- 
ing." 

After  a  few  weeks'  rest  and  treatment  he  is  on  his  feet 
again  and  in  the  fall  pressure  of  the  work  he  cannot  and 
will  not  lay  down.  In  addition  to  his  ordinary  Home 
Mission  duties,  the  Yukon  claims  his  full  and  enthu- 
siastic attention.  He  is  eager  to  secure  additional  mis- 
sionaries for  the  Northern  field.  The  trail  has  been 
broken,  the  lines  of  communication  are  established,  and 
men  must  be  found  to  follow. 

Not  in  the  history  of  our  Canadian  missions  is  there 
clearer  evidence  of  a  Committee  being  guided  in  its 
choice  of  men,  than  in  the  case  of  the  Klondike.  The 
next  man  appointed  is  the  Eev.  A.  S.  Grant,  a  man  fitted 
in  a  very  special  way  for  work  among  the  Klondike 
miners,  strong,  fearless,  sympathetic,  with  experience  of 
Western  missions  and  with  two  years7  medical  training. 
The  people  of  the  Edmonton  district  tell  this  story  of 
him. 

An  Indian  woman  in  his  field  lay  dying  with  a  broken 
leg  that  had  begun  to  mortify  from  neglect.  There  was 
no  doctor  to  be  had.  Grant  was  on  the  spot  with  his  case 
of  lancets,  forceps,  etc.  The  woman  must  lose  her  life  or 
lose  her  leg.  Grant  decided  it  should  be  the  latter. 
With  a  settler  to  assist  him,  he  shut  the  woman's  rela- 
tives out  of  the  cabin,  got  an  old  buck-saw  which  he  ren- 
dered antiseptic  with  boiling  water,  gave  the  woman 
chloroform,  sawed  off  the  leg,  tied  up  the  arteries,  sewed 
down  the  flap,  her  relatives  raging  at  the  door  outside  all 
the  while.  He  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  her  stump 
round  afterwards  on  a  wooden  leg  which  he  either  made 
or  purchased  for  her. 

Having  secured  Grant,  the  Superintendent  looks  around 
for  a  third.  He  has  his  eye  upon  a  man  of  whom  he 
writes  in  this  way  : 


350       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"  Toronto,  Nov.  29,  1897. 
"DEAR  GORDON: 

"  Yours  of  the  i  ;th  I  have  replied  to  in  part.  The  Rev. 
A.  S.  Grant,  as  I  informed  you,  is  appointed  and  leaves  here 
about  Christmas,  and  as  soon  as  the  West  is  ready  for  him  1 
have  another  man  who  is  ready  to  pull  up  stakes  and  go  —  a 
powerful  man,  sound  in  wind  and  limb,  strong  of  joints,  level 
of  head  and  deft  of  brain,  and  I  am  assured  courageous  withal. 
The  Principal  and  Professor  Hart  can  rest  assured  that  although 
not  in  Winnipeg,  I  am  not  forgetful  of  the  needs  of  the  West. 
My  man  is  Crawford  Tate.  Keep  quiet  just  now.  He  is 
spiritually  minded  —  very  necessary. 

"Yours  in  haste, 

"J.  ROBERTSON." 

That  last  phrase  is  a  window  through  which  we  may 
see  the  Superintendent's  innermost  heart.  No  man  ever 
hated  cant  with  a  more  violent  hatred  than  did  he,  but 
no  man  ever  knew  how  vitally  important  it  was  to  suc- 
cess in  mission  work  on  the  frontier,  that  a  man  should 
be  spiritually  minded.  Something  went  wrong  with  this 
appointment,  and  Mr.  Crawford  Tate  was  denied  the 
privilege  of  joining  the  Klondike  force. 

The  designation  service  of  the  Rev.  A.  S.  Grant  of- 
fered an  opportunity  unique  in  the  Home  Mission  de- 
partment of  the  Church's  work,  and  the  Committee 
decided  to  make  the  most  of  it.  The  service  is  thus 
referred  to  in  the  following  letter  written  from  Toronto, 
December  31,  1897  : 


MR.  GORDON  : 
"The  meeting  designating  the  Bev.  A.  S.  Grant, 
took  place  last  evening  in  St.  James'  Square  Church,  and 
there  was  a  good  audience.  Sir  Oliver  Mowat  was  in  the 
chair,  and  Principal  Grant,  A.  S.  Grant,  Drs.  Warden 
and  Cochrane  and  your  humble  servant  were  the  speak- 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         351 

ers.  At  the  close,  two  men  told  me  they  would  give  $100 
each  for  Home  Missions,  and  more,  I  trust,  will  follow. 
Grant  leaves  here  Monday  by  the  'Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
way and  will  reach  Winnipeg  Wednesday  j  I  do  not 
know  that  he  will  stay  off  at  Winnipeg  at  all,  so  you  had 
better  arrange  to  see  him  at  the  station.'7  There  is  no 
doubt  that  the  mission  is  appealing  to  the  imagination  of 
the  Church.  The  Superintendent  is  greatly  encouraged. 
"If  $8,000  or  $10,000  more  are  needed,"  he  continues, 
i  i  for  the  work  in  the  Klondike,  I  think  it  can  be  got,  for 
prompt  action  and  the  character  of  our  men  are  com- 
manding attention  throughout  the  Church.  Even  the 
dailies  in  Toronto  are  catching  the  enthusiasm.  I  am 
urging  the  appointment  of  more  men,  and  without  delay. 
I  am  writing  Cochrane  to  come  down  some  day  soon  so 
that  we  may  outline  our  policy,  select  our  men,  and  take 
action  intelligently.  He  speaks  of  delay,  but  I  am  to  be 
always  opposed  to  a  l  to-morrow  '  policy." 

True  enough.  And  never  more  opposed  than  in  this 
present  situation  of  rush  and  stress.  The  crowding  gold- 
seekers  struggling  up  the  gulches  will  not  wait  till  to- 
morrow. The  Bread  of  Life  they  must  have  to-day  or 
perish.  And  so,  "  Glenora  must  be  provided  for  at  once, 
and  Fort  Wrangel  sooner!  And  Teslin  Lake  demands 
attention  immediately,  too.  The  Stickine  route  is  evi- 
dently favoured  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  people, 
and  since  it  admits  of  our  reaching  Canadian  territory 
speedily,  it  is  to  be  much  preferred.  The  other  route, 
however,  we  must  provide  for,  especially  on  our  own 
side  of  the  line,  for  both  routes  are  likely  to  be  fully 
taxed.  But  men  are  an  important  element.  If  Herdman 
could  be  secured  for  a  place  like  Glenora,  it  would  be 
well.  He  knows  frontier  life  and  has  a  good  way  with 
men."  That  he  has,  as  all  Calgary  Presbyterians  and  all 
his  fellow  labourers  in  the  Presbytery  will  strongly  tes- 


352       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

tify.     But  Herdman  cannot  be  spared  from  his  present 
strategic  position. 

With  the  intense  and  concentrated  energy  of  his  being, 
the  Superintendent  is  throwing  himself  into  the  adminis- 
tration and  development  of  the  Yukon  Mission.  This 
makes  no  small  addition  to  the  burden  of  work  he  is  al- 
ready bearing,  but  he  has  never  shirked  during  his  whole 
career,  and  though  fighting  silently  and  secretly  a  deadly 
disease,  he  will  not  shirk  now.  It  is  perfectly  amazing 
with  what  rapidity  and  thoroughness  he  masters  the 
geographical  and  other  details  of  the  Yukon  mission  field. 
In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Gordon,  through  whom  Mr.  Dickey  has 
carried  on  correspondence  with  the  Superintendent,  he 
indicates  a  plan  of  operations  in  modification  of  one  sug- 
gested by  Mr.  Dickey,  which  the  Superintendent  con- 
siders too  large,  too  heroic  and  too  costly. 

u  The  whole  situation  disclosed  by  Dickey's  letter  we 
must  consider  seriously.  I  am  not  sure,  however,  as  to 
the  wisdom  of  incurring  the  whole  expense  and  hardship 
his  plan  would  involve.  The  C.  P.  R.  people  say  that 
when  steamer  communication  from  Tesliu  Lake  is 
established,  the  trip  from  Victoria  to  Dawson  can  be 
made  in  twelve  days'  actual  travelling.  Moreover,  they 
say  that  the  Stickine  River  is  open  about  May  1st,  and 
continues  open  to  October  31st,  and  Teslin  Lake  from  May 
15th  to  November  15th.  Let  us  say  this  is  the  case. 
There  is  a  steamer  on  Teslin  Lake  now,  and  others  will 
likely  be  built  at  once,  certainly  they  will  be  built  if  the 
C.  P.  R.  people  are  to  make  this  their  route.  In  any 
case,  since  the  distance  between  the  head  of  Teslin  Lake 
and  Fort  Selkirk  is  only  400  miles,  and  only  one  rapid, 
and  that  not  a  difficult  one  to  navigate,  and  since  there  is 
plenty  of  timber  to  make  boats  at  Teslin  Lake,  and  men 
are  likely  to  use  it  in  making  boats  for  themselves,  even  if 
steamer  accommodation  is  limited,  it  seems  to  me  that  our 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         353 

men  could  get  down  for  a  reasonable  figure  and  reach 
there  as  soon  as  miners  are  likely  to  do.  Let  our  men 
for  the  interior  leave  Vancouver  May  1st,  it  would  seem 
that  by  June  1st  or  10th  at  most,  they  could  reach  Fort 
Selkirk,  or  even  Dawson.  The  C.  P.  R.  people  will 
carry  men  first  class,  meals  and  berth  included,  from 
Vancouver  to  Glenora  for  forty  dollars.  If  we  had  men 
stationed  at  Glenora  and  Teslin,  they  could  arrange  to 
have  our  men  go  in  from  Glenora  to  Teslin,  or  from  Teslin 
to  Hootalinqua  and  on  to  Fort  Selkirk  at  a  small  cost 
compared  with  Dickey's  figures.  My  view  is,  but  of 
course  I  am  only  considering  the  case  without  all  the 
data,  that  our  best  plan  is  to  provide  for  Fort  Wrangel, 
Gleuora,  and  Teslin  Lake  at  once,  and  any  points  on  the 
other  route  that  are  likely  to  assume  importance  such 
as  Bennett,  Tagish,  and  other  points  farther  down,  and 
then  wait  for  the  opening  of  navigation.  Grant  and 
Dickey  may  be  able  to  consult  and  throw  light  on  the 
situation  ;  my  only  concern  is  to  combine,  as  far  as  prac- 
ticable, economy  with  an  enlightened,  progressive  policy.7' 

To  hear  him  describe  to  his  Committee  the  physical 
features,  relative  positions  of  camps,  the  richness  of  the 
various  placer  beds,  one  would  think  he  had  travelled 
over  the  ground  and  had  taken  copious  notes  upon  the  spot. 
His  Committee  are  nervous  about  his  ambitious  plans  for 
expansion,  and  fear  that  he  has  forgotten  the  painful 
struggle  of  years  past  to  make  ends  meet.  But  ambitious 
as  is  his  plan  and  eager  as  is  his  spirit,  he  is,  or  at  least 
thinks  he  is,  on  his  guard  against  recklessness. 

"  There  will  be  no  disposition,"  he  writes,  "  having  put 
our  hand  to  the  plough,  to  look  back  ;  but  we  want  the 
Church  to  understand  that  there  is  no  recklessness  in  the 
methods  employed." 

The  Yukon  is  booming  ;  the  crowds  of  gold-seekers  are 
growing  in  volume  week  by  week  ;  the  terrors  of  the  sun- 


354:       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

less  winter  are  added  to  those  of  the  deadly  trail  over  the 
White  Pass,  but  still  the  crowds  pour  in.  The  Home 
Mission  Committee  would  fain  call  a  halt,  but  the  Super- 
intendent is  able  to  persuade  them  that  on  purely  finan- 
cial considerations  the  Klondike  Mission  must  not  be 
allowed  to  lag.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Gordon  he  writes  as 
follows  : 

"  The  Klondike  situation  I  have  no  desire  to  boom,  nor 
will  anything  we  do  for  it  diminish  contributions  for 
other  work.  When  the  Governor- General,  Sir  Oliver 
Mowat,  Principal  Grant,  Dr.  Gordon  of  Halifax  and 
others  endorse  your  course,  and  money  is  being  sent 
voluntarily  to  support  the  work — some  of  it  from  people 
outside  our  Communion — it  would  seem  as  if  we  were  on 
the  right  track.  Besides,  unless  you  have  a  new  '  battle- 
cry  y  now  and  then,  something  to  catch  the  ear  and  appeal 
to  the  imagination,  you  will  lose  your  influence  with  the 
mass,  and  fail  in  getting  their  help.  i  Manitoba  and  the 
great  Northwest J  has  lost  its  novelty  and  potency ;  you 
can  no  longer  charm  with  it  nor  fill  your  coffers. J1 

The  Home  Mission  Fund  is  filling  up.  Voluntary  sub- 
scriptions are  beginning  to  come  in,  but  still  the  Com- 
mittee is  burdened  with  a  sense  of  responsibility  for  the 
wise  expenditure  of  Church  funds.  And  they  are  becom- 
ing more  and  more  alarmed  at  this  dashing  policy  of  their 
Superintendent. 

"  We  shall  let  the  American  Church/'  he  writes,  "  care 
for  her  own  towns,  although  in  the  interests  of  our  work 
and  men,  it  may  be  necessary  to  plant  men  at  Fort 
Wrangel  and  Skagway  (American).  I  am  willing,  how- 
ever, to  be  guided  by  those  on  the  ground,  about  that  part 
of  our  policy."  And  here  the  Canadian  empire-builder 
speaks. 

"  For  patriotic  as  well  as  religious  reasons  I  am  anxious 
that  the  sentiment  in  the  Klondike  country  should  be 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         355 

strongly  Canadian.  We  must  take  possession  as  if  we 
wished  to  hold  the  ground,  and  give  no  occasion  for  a 
foreign  Church  to  come  in  and,  with  so  strong  an  Ameri- 
can element,  tamper  with  the  loyalty  of  our  people. 
This  '  Hinterland '  of  ours  is  peculiarly  surrounded,  owing 
to  the  ignorance  of  British  diplomatists  ;  and  Canada — 
Church  and  State — should  take  care  not  to  leave  room 
for  more  complications.  And  a  large  amount  of  Chris- 
tian work  is  to  be  done  if  present  expectations  are  half, 
realized. '' 

The  mingled  plea  of  patriotism,  good  business  and 
religious  responsibility  evidently  prevails  with  the  wary 
Secretary  and  cautious  Convener,  for  in  a  short  time  he 
is  able  to  write  thus  triumphantly  : — 

"62  Admiral  Road,  Toronto,  Jan.  6,  1898. 
"  DEAR  MR.  GORDON  : — 

"  Yours  has  only  to-day  been  received,  although  dated 
December  3ist. 

"  We  are  thinking  of  making  a  special  appeal  to  the  rich 
men  of  the  Church  for  $10,000  for  the  Klondike.  As  far  as  I 
can  see,  ten  men — eight  in  addition  to  those  we  have — are 
needed.  Fort  Wrangel,  Glenora,  Teslin  Lake,  Skagway,  Lake 
Bennett,  Lake  Tagish,  Hootalinqua  River,  Stewart  River,  Fort 
Selkirk,  and  Dawson  all  need  men,  and  the  upper  reaches  of  the 
streams  where  mining  is  going  on  will  see  villages  and  towns 
springing  up  for  which  we  must  provide.  The  C.  P.  R.  will 
evidently  give  the  preference  to  the  Fort  Wrangel  route,  and  we 
should  act  accordingly.  The  Dalton  route  may  also  require 
attention.  I  do  not  know  what  to  say  of  the  Prince  Albert  and 
Edmonton  trails,  but  evidently  an  effort  is  to  be  made  to  open 
up  communication  from  the  east  of  the  Rockies.  Dr.  Cochrane 
seems  hard  to  move.  He  is  too  timid  about  a  deficit,  and  hence 
there  is  danger  of  our  losing  the  prestige  we  have  gained  by 
former  action. 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"  J.  ROBERTSON." 

"  Eight  men  and  $10,000  ! "     No  wonder  the  Convener 


356       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

feels  that  with  this  engine  of  concentrated  energy  hitched 
to  the  Home  Mission  train,  he  must  sit  with  his  hand 
upon  the  brake.  He  has  not  had  large  experience  of  def- 
icits for  nothing.  At  the  close  of  that  letter  the  Superin- 
tendent pauses  to  put  in  this  postscript : 

"  Like  you,  I  feel  grateful  for  all  the  past  year  brought, 
and  only  regret  that  more  was  not  done.  What  a  bless- 
ing that  God  is  merciful  and  forgiving." 

How  this  shames  us  and  humbles  us  who  have  so  much 
more  need  to  be  forgiven  ! 

The  tide  of  interest,  however,  in  the  Yukon  Mission  is 
steadily  rising  in  the  country  and  in  the  Church.  Canada 
is  sending  in  the  best  and  bravest  of  her  sons  to  join  the 
gold-seekers  there.  Money  is  pouring  in  to  support  the 
mission  and  men  are  offering,  and  the  Superintendent  has 
the  altogether  new  and  delightful  experience  of  being 
able  to  pick  and  choose  his  workers.  One  can  imagine 
the  almost  wicked  delight  he  finds  in  this  situation. 


"  62  Admiral  Road,  Toronto,  Jan.  81,  1898. 
"  DEAR  ME.  GORDON  :  — 

"I  am  going  off  to  Ottawa  in  a  very  short  time  and 
am  just  writing  you  a  note. 

"I  wished  to  have  a  meeting  of  the  Executive  of  the 
Home  Mission  Committee  here  this  afternoon,  but  Coch- 
rane  could  not  come.  I  am  getting  impatient  at  this 
dilly-dally  ;  it  seems  to  me  to  argue  a  lack  of  grasp  of 
the  conditions  obtaining,  but  I  can  do  nothing  till  the 
authorities  move."  Whence  this  sudden  reverence  for 
authority  ?  What  has  come  to  pass  that  he  waits  for  any 
of  them  ?  Is  there  a  suspicion  of  a  rising  impatience  on 
the  part  of  his  Committee  unwilling  to  be  hustled  along 
at  this  breathless  and  unseemly  pace?  "  I  want  Glenora 
and  Tesliii  occupied  at  once,  and  sooner  if  possible — if 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         357 

that  is  not  a  bull.  Some  men  offer  and  others  are  to  be 
pushed  on  us,  I  understand.  To  all  so  far  I  have  said 
no,  and  colleges  may  do  as  they  please,  but  we  are  to  re- 
sist men  who  are  not  equal  to  the  situation.  I  hope  to 
have  two  or  three  names  to  submit  when  the  Executive 
meets  here  Friday. " 

The  hunter  is  being  hunted  now.  The  appeal  of  real 
danger  and  hardship  has  touched  the  heart  of  the  noblest, 
and  the  opportunity  to  win  fame  has  stirred  the  other 
kind  of  men  and  the  colleges  to  apply.  But  now,  for  the 
first  time  in  his  history,  he  will  enjoy  the  luxury  of  pick- 
ing his  men. 

It  is  hardly  to  be  expected  that  the  eager  pushing  of 
the  Klondike  Mission  upon  the  attention  of  Canada  and 
especially  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  should  go  without 
challenge  and  criticism.  He  has  already  been  violently 
attacked  by  the  Eossland  Miner,  to  which  he  addresses  a 
vigorous  reply.  From  another  quarter  there  comes  some- 
what veiled  criticism  that  disturbs  him  not  a  little.  He 
thus  refers  to  it  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Gordon  : 

"From  all  I  can  learn,  we  have  the  cordial  approval 
of  the  Church  so  far,  only  that  the  Synod  of  Manitoba 
and  the  Northwest  Territories,  who,  by  their  action  in 
the  matter  of  the  extra-mural  legislation,  would  seem  to 
censure  us  for  sending  Dickey  before  he  had  completed 
his  course.  I  only  wish  all  the  men  who  complete  their 
course  would  show  that  they  had  that  stuff  in  them  that 
he  evidently  possesses." 

The  overture  in  question  originated  with  the  Presby- 
tery of  Winnipeg,  in  which  the  College  professors  have 
a  preponderating  influence,  and  was,  doubtless,  inspired 
by  a  desire  to  protect  the  College  from  further  violence 
by  this  filibustering  Superintendent.  For  unless  some- 
thing is  done,  no  man  can  tell  to  what  lengths  he  may 
proceed  in  his  raid  for  Yukon  missionaries.  The  over- 


358       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

ture  is  transmitted  to  Synod,  and  through  Synod  to  As- 
sembly, without  injury  to  any  one. 

But  more  serious,  in  that  it  affected  the  opinion  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Committee,  was  the  following  criticism 
from  a  leading  minister  of  Winnipeg,  namely,  i '  Winni- 
peg is  not  in  favour  of  the  Klondike  Mission. " 

"What  does  this  mean?"  indignantly  writes  the 
Superintendent.  i  i  Surely  you  do  not  mean  that  we  are 
to  leave  that  district  uncared  for  ?  One  town  or  city  or 
Synod  should  guard  against  belittling  or  opposing  what 
another  city  or  Synod  regards  as  important,  and  is  push- 
ing. Winnipeg  will  gain  nothing  by  opposing  the  work 
in  the  Klondike  ;  the  Home  Mission  Fund  will  be  helped 
by  our  action,  for  we  shall  get  what  we  require  for  the 
Klondike  specially,  and  more  for  the  Home  Mission  Fund 
than  if  the  Klondike  matter  was  not  taken  up.  You  up 
there  have  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  hold  the  Klondike  has 
taken  of  the  people  here.  From  Toronto,  Hamilton, 
Montreal,  everywhere  people  are  going  off ;  and  we  must 
prepare  to  provide  for  them  at  places  where  they  are  sure 
to  congregate  in  the  largest  numbers." 

But  he  is  not  to  be  deterred.  The  following  week  he 
writes  in  this  fashion  : 

11  We  are  going  to  send  forward  more  men  to  the  Klon- 
dike at  once.  I  am  in  correspondence  with  several,  by 
the  authority  of  the  Executive.  We  must  not  falter  now. 
Glenora  and  Teslin  we  must  occupy  at  once.  I  heard 
from  Grant ;  he  was  in  good  spirits." 

But  the  trouble  is  not  over,  as  is  apparent  from  the 
following  letter,  dated  Toronto,  Feb.  24,  1898  : 

"  DEAR  GORDON  : — 

"  As  you  know,  Dr.  Blank  was  here,  and  discuss- 
ing the  Klondike  with  Dr.  Warden,  and  Dr.  Warden 
was  telling  me  of  the  '  opposition  >  in  Winnipeg,  and  ask- 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         359 

ing  for  an  explanation.  I  told  him  of  the  attitude  of  the 
Free  Press  last  autumn,  and  attributed  it  to  the  fear  that 
some  young  men  might  catch  the  fever  and  leave  their 
farms,  and  that  thus  the  population  of  Manitoba  might 
suffer.  This,  in  my  opinion,  is  folly,  for  Manitoba 
stands  to  gain  a  good  deal  by  this  advertisement,  and  our 
prints  are  on  the  wrong  track  to  decry  the  Klondike. 
Dr.  Blank  quoted  a  Winnipeg  layman  as  scouting  the 
idea  of  a  Klondike  Fund,  or  Churches  sending  mission- 
aries there.  Dr.  Warden  was  affected  by  all  this.  I  told 
him  that  when  the  Rebellion  took  place  Gordon,  Pitblado, 
Barclay,  Mackenzie  and  others  were  sent  out  as  chap- 
lains, and  surely  when  ten  or  twenty  times  as  many 
miners  were  going,  we  should  provide  for  them ;  that 
British  Churches  provided  for  people  who  went  to  water- 
ing-places in  summer,  and  that  digging-places  where 
people  were  likely  to  be  summer  and  winter  should  not 
be  neglected." 

Criticism  and  opposition,  however,  do  not  check  his 
pace,  nor  do  they  chill  the  ardour  of  his  triumphant  en- 
thusiasm. He  has  got  another  man  worthy  to  stand  in 
the  front  rank  with  his  Klondike  heroes.  From  the 
time  he  had  first  seen  him  as  a  student,  he  had  kept  his 
eye  upon  him,  and  now  at  this  crisis  he  sent  for  John 
Pringle.  On  the  23d  of  February,  1898,  he  writes  thus 
joyfully : 


"  DEAR  GORDON  :  — 

"  Pringle  writes  that  he  is  leaving  St.  Paul  for  Winni- 
peg on  the  4th  March.  He  will  be  with  you  over  Sunday ; 
arrange  for  your  meeting  for  Monday,  so  that  there  may  be  as 
little  delay  as  possible.  Should  Presbytery  meet  at  the  time,  it 
would  be,  perhaps,  as  well  to  have  Presbytery  take  charge, 
although  you  might  feel  freer  with  the  Home  Mission  Commit- 
tee. Do  what  you  and  the  brethren  think  best.  I  hope  to  be 
with  you  by  Saturday  the  5th.  I  am  writing  Pringle  and  tell- 


360       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

ing  about  suggestions  and  asking  him  to  communicate  with 
you.     I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  Pringle. 

"  In  haste, 

"  J.  ROBERTSON." 

In  another  letter  he  writes  : 

"Pringle  seems  to  be  prepared  to  go  at  once,  and  we 
are  anxious  he  should  do  so,  because  Dickey  may  go 
away  any  time.  Klondike  Fund — J.  A.  Macdonald's — 
is  doing  well;  $128  to-day  and  we  are  hopeful.  It  is 
thought  better  not  to  appoint  more  men  till  the  Commit- 
tee meets  on  the  22d,  but  letters  received  will  determine 
our  action. 

"  In  great  haste, 

"  J.  ROBERTSON." 

Yes,  "in  haste,"  "in  great  haste,"  always  so  in  these 
days. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1898,  a  fourth  missionary  was 
designated  to  the  Klondike  Mission — Rev.  J.  A.  Sinclair, 
of  Spencerville,  Ontario,  a  man  worthy  in  every  way  to 
take  his  place  with  those  who  were  already  in  the  Yukon. 
Mr.  Sinclair  reached  Skagway  the  latter  part  of  May, 
and  there  took  up  the  work  begun  by  Mr.  Dickey,  who 
had  gone  on  to  Bennett. 

In  the  March  meeting  of  the  Committee,  the  effect  of 
the  letter  and  the  visit  from  Winnipeg  is  plainly  seen. 
Doubt  is  expressed  as  to  the  wisdom  of  an  aggressive 
campaign  in  the  Yukon.  The  Superintendent,  on  the 
contrary,  is  consumed  with  the  desire  to  have  a  "full 
dress"  discussion  in  regard  to  a  Yukon  policy.  But 
nothing  is  done.  This  means  disappointment,  keen  dis- 
appointment, not  only  to  the  Superintendent,  but  also  to 
all  those  in  the  Committee  and  throughout  the  Church 
who  had  been  following  with  interest  the  progress  of  this 
mission.  This  feeling  finds  expression  in  an  editorial  in 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         361 

The  Westminster  paper  of  date  April  2,  1898,  in  which 
the  Committee  is  severely  criticised  as  follows  : 

"  These  are  crisis- times  in  Canada.  Not  since  Confed- 
eration, indeed,  never  in  our  history,  has  a  year  been  so 
crammed  with  opportunity  and  risk.  .  .  .  But  the 
crisis-time  of  the  nation  is  the  crisis-time  of  the  Church. 
.  .  .  Is  there  in  the  councils  of  the  Church  the  states- 
manship needed  in  this  new  time?  the  wide-visioned, 
large-minded,  risk-meeting  statesmanship  equal  to  the 
sudden  demands  made  by  Northern  Ontario,  the  North- 
west, British  Columbia,  and  the  Klondike?  Is  the 
Church's  leadership  strong,  steady,  statesmanlike? 
.  .  .  For  answer  to  these  questions  the  Presbyterian 
Church  turns  to  the  Committee  to  whom  was  given  the 
solemn  charge  of  that  vast  territory  stretching  from  Gaspe 
to  Klondike.  .  .  .  It  is  the  business  of  the  Home 
Mission  Committee  to  lead  the  Church  out  into  new  fields, 
and  take  possession  in  the  name  of  Christ  and  His  King- 
dom. .  .  .  This  Committee,  with  imperial  interests 
pressing  for  a  hearing,  met  on  Tuesday  forenoon  and  ad- 
journed on  Wednesday  afternoon.  The  work  attempted 
was  the  passing  of  grants,  revising  of  lists,  and  making 
of  appointments.  At  noon  on  Wednesday  the  list  of  ap- 
pointments was  complete,  and  adjournment  was  decided 
on  without  one  hour's  discussion  of  a  policy,  without 
even  a  hint  of  a  policy  being  needed.  .  .  .  All  this 
is  extremely  discouraging.  We  had  thought  that  there 
was  something  in  the  Klondike  work.  The  country 
thinks  so.  The  Church  thinks  so.  ...  If  the  Home 
Mission  Committee  were  to  read  the  letters  which  every 
¥mail  brings  to  this  office,  it  would  have  planned,  not  for 
three  men  for  the  Yukon,  or  four  or  five,  but  for  at  least 
twenty  missionaries  and  a  Presbytery.  Had  the  Com- 
mittee said  to  the  Church  :  Give  us  $20,000  for  work  in 
the  Klondike,  the  money  would  ha"ve  been  on  hand  as 


362       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

soon  as  the  men  were  ready.  Gentlemen  of  the  Home 
Mission  Committee,  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Canada 
is  able  and  willing  and  ready,  waiting  only  for  the  policy 
you  did  not  adopt,  the  call  you  did  not  issue,  the  leader- 
ship you  have  not  shown." 

Of  course,  there  was  wrath  among  the  conservatives  of 
the  Committee.  The  Superintendent  was  charged,  and 
wrongly,  with  inspiring  the  article.  The  Convener  and 
Secretary  were  deeply  grieved,  considering  that  they 
were  specially  criticised,  though,  as  is  often  the  case,  it 
was  the  system  rather  than  the  men  that  was  attacked. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  The  Westminster  article,  while  not 
inspired  by  the  Superintendent,  gave  him  very  consider- 
able satisfaction.  This  is  evident  from  the  following  letter : 

"  Toronto,  March  31,  1898. 
"DEAR  GORDON: 

"Macdonald  called  here  last  evening  to  show  me  your 
letter — which  was  in  his  other  coat  pocket  and  which  I  could 
not,  consequently,  see — and  his  Home  Mission  article.  <  The 
fat  is  in  the  fire '  but  the  blaze  will  help  some  people  to  see  the 
density  of  the  darkness  in  which  the  Committee  is  dwelling. 
The  article  is  courageous,  cannot  be  passed  by,  and  will 
mightily  help  us  in  the  West.  Last  Wednesday  I  had  a  card 
from  Cochrane  saying  that  since  Sinclair  was  now  appointed 
we  could  rest  for  a  time.  I  wrote  him  a  stiff  letter  at  once, 
pointing  out  to  him  that  Skagway,  Lake  Bennett,  Glenora, 
Teslin,  Leberge,  Fort  Selkirk,  and  Dawson  needed  to  be  occu- 
pied immediately,  not  to  refer  to  the  Big  Salmon,  the  Little 
Salmon,  the  Stewart  or  the  upper  reaches  of  the  Klondike  at 
all,  that  unless  men  started  soon,  they  could  not  get  in  till  late, 
that  they  could  not  visit  or  explore  during  the  open  season,  nor 
get  familiar  with  the  country,  and  that  the  long  and  severe 
winter  would  lock  them  as  fast  as  the  rivers.  I  also  pointed 
out  that  organization  was  absolutely  necessary  and  that  there 
must  be  enough  men  in  the  northern  part  of  the  territory 
to  meet  and  deliberate  and  post  the  Church  as  to  what  is 
needed.  I  have  had  no  reply. 

"  In  haste, 

"J.  ROBERTSON." 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         3G3 

War  is  brewing,  and  the  Superintendent  is  not  the  man 
to  decline  battle  ;  rather  does  he  rejoice  in  the  prospect. 
This  warlike  spirit  breathes  in  the  following  letter  written 
from  Brockville,  April  11,  1898  : 

"DEAR  MR.  GORDON  : 

"  The  Westminster  article  is  strongly  resented  by 
Dr.  Cochrane,  who  is  to  say  nothing  now,  but  to  reply  at 
the  Assembly.  Dr.  Warden  does  not  like  the  article,  as 
he  supposes  it  reflects  on  him,  too,  and  he  tells  me  that 
several  have  written  him  saying  that  they  disapprove  of 
it  entirely.  Some  have  written  me,  again,  approving 
of  it,  and  saying  that  the  article  was  called  for.  Dr. 
Cochrane  accused  me  of  inspiring  it,  and  based  his  accu- 
sation on  the  correspondence  between  certain  phrases  in 
letters  of  mine  addressed  to  him,  and  certain  phrases  in 
The  Westminster  article.  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  in- 
spire the  article,  that  the  style  was  not  mine,  that  the 
editor  had  abundant  opportunity  of  judging  for  himself, 
and  that  it  was  for  us  to  consider,  not  who  inspired, 
wrote  or  published  the  article,  but  how  much  truth  it  set 
forth.  Dr.  Warden  does  not  see  that  the  Committee  has 
failed  to  do  anything  it  ought  to  have  done  during  the 
past  year,  and  points  to  all  that  has  been  done  in  the 
West  as  an  evidence  of  the  Committee's  enlightened 
statesmanship  !  Now  there  you  are — prepare  your  in- 
dictment, marshall  your  arguments  and  let  the  Assembly 
judge." 

But  the  war-clouds  blew  over.  Those  men  were  too 
big,  too  closely  bound  by  ties  of  mutual  affection  and 
esteem,  and  too  deeply  interested  in  the  work  of  the 
Church  to  allow  their  differences  in  opinion  to  threaten 
in  the  slightest  degree  the  interests  of  the  work  to  which 
they  were  giving  their  lives.  An  understanding  was 
arrived  at  in  regard  to  the  Yukon  policy,  and  the  As- 


364       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  KOBEttTSON 

sembly,  which  had  been  expecting  war,  was  glad  to  pass 
instead  a  resolution  eulogistic  of  the  Yukon  Mission  and 
its  vigorous  prosecution. 

The  only  legislative  result  of  the  disturbance  was  an 
overture  from  the  British  Columbia  Synod  asking  for  a 
reorganization  of  the  Home  Mission  Committee  and  a 
change  in  its  methods  of  administration,  which  overture, 
being  duly  presented,  went  the  way  of  its  kind,  being 
referred  to  a  Committee  and  then  buried,  but  achieving 
results  before  its  demise.  The  Church  was  fully  roused. 
The  Home  Mission  Committee  adopted  a  vigorous  policy 
and,  being  assured  that  the  Church  was  behind  the  move- 
ment, warmly  and  even  enthusiastically  prosecuted  its 
mission  in  the  far  north,  to  the  great  joy  of  all  concerned. 

It  is  pleasant  to  think  that  this  slight  flurry  of  a 
difference  in  opinion  between  these  great  leaders,  passed 
so  quickly  away,  and  all  the  more  that  before  the  year 
was  out  Dr.  Cochrane,  the  Convener  of  the  Home  Mission 
Committee  for  twenty-six  years,  in  the  very  midst  of  his 
service  and  in  the  full  tide  of  his  strength,  was  called 
away.  He  was  greatly  missed  and  greatly  mourned  by 
all  his  associates  in  the  cause  of  Home  Missions,  and 
by  none  more  than  by  Dr.  Eobertsbn,  the  Superintend- 
ent, and  Dr.  Warden,  the  Secretary,  with  both  of  whom 
his  fellowship  had  been  so  close  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century. 

In  1900,  in  response  to  an  urgent  request  from  Mr. 
Pringle,  two  nurses,  Miss  Mitchell  and  Miss  Bone,  were 
sent  into  the  Yukon. 

The  excitement  in  connection  with  the  gold-digging 
in  the  Klondike  gradually  subsided  and  the  mining  of 
gold  settled  down  into  a  legitimate  industry  from  which 
the  Dominion  has  continued  to  reap  large  revenue  year 
by  year. 

Early  in  March  the  whole  Church,  but  especially  the 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         365 

Church  in  the  West,  suffered  a  heavy  loss  in  the  death 
of  the  Rev.  Dr.  King,  Principal  of  Manitoba  College. 
His  removal  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  College  and  to  its 
important  work,  but  it  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  cause 
of  Home  Missions  as  well,  for  there  was  no  man  in  all 
the  West  who  stood  closer  to  the  Superintendent  and 
more  warmly  supported  him,  than  did  Principal  King ; 
and  to  no  man  in  all  the  Church  was  the  Superintendent 
bound  by  stronger  ties  of  friendship.  And  because  the 
Superintendent  well  knew  how  keen  would  be  the  grief 
in  the  heart  of  every  student  of  the  College,  he  took  .care 
to  write  at  once  to  Mr.  Dickey  in  the  Klondike,  convey- 
ing to  him  the  sad  news. 

"You  will  be  sorry  to  learn,"  he  writes,  "that  Dr. 
King  is  no  more.  Last  evening  I  received  a  telegram 
here  from  Winnipeg,  informing  me  that  yesterday  he 
had  passed  away  quietly.  His  death  is  a  distinct  loss 
to  the  College,  the  Church,  and  the  country.  Time  and 
opportunity  were  given  him  to  do  service  ;  he  availed 
himself  of  both,  and  he  has  reared  for  himself  an  endur- 
ing monument.'7 

Throughout  the  whole  period  of  their  association  in 
Western  work,  these  two  leaders,  each  supreme  in  his 
own  department,  wrought  together  in  undisturbed 
mutual  confidence  and  affection.  And  none  knew 
better  than  Dr.  Robertson  how  to  appreciate  the 
simple  sincerity  and  the  superb  self-devotion  of  Prin- 
cipal King. 

In  the  spring  of  the  same  year  it  was  reported  that 
Mr.  Dickey's  health  showed  signs  of  breaking  down. 
The  Superintendent  thus  writes  to  him  : 

"  As  to  your  coming  out,  we  shall  be  glad  to  welcome 
you  to  civilization  again,  but  had  your  health  permitted, 
I  would  have  been  pleased  to  have  had  you  remain  till 
the  autumn  of  1900." 


366       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

But  this  was  not  possible.  The  evil  effect  of  toil, 
exposure,  insufficient  and  improper  food  was  so  serious 
that  it  was  decided  that  Mr.  Dickey  must  return.  None 
knew  better  than  the  Superintendent  what  he  had  borne, 
and  none  could  sympathize  with  him  more  truly.  Under 
date  July  12,  1899,  he  wrote  this  truly  beautiful 
letter: 

"  DEAR  MR.  DICKEY  :— 

"I  was  very  sorry  to  learn  that  spring  did  not 
restore  your  health  and  that  you  were  compelled  to 
come  out.  We  shall  all  do  what  we  can  for  you  on 
your  return,  and  hope  that  a  change  of  scene  and 
diet,  rest  and  medical  treatment,  may  restore  you  com- 
pletely to  health.  I  know  a  little  of  what  working 
while  unwell  means,  and  I  most  sincerely  sympathize 
with  you. 

"As  to  your  work  and  service,  let  me  say  that  the 
Church  feels  proud  of  the  staff  she  has  in  the  far  north, 
and  that  no  one  holds  a  higher  place  than  the  pioneer. 
Your  good  sense,  your  intrepidity,  your  broad  catholic 
spirit,  and  the  service  rendered  to  men  as  men  and  Chris- 
tians, all  this  has  taken  hold  of  the  heart  of  the  Church  ; 
and  when  you  come  out  and  appear  on  platforms  and 
are  lionized,  I  hope  your  head  will  not  be  turned,  but 
that  you  may  remain  the  modest  and  manly  Dickey  we 
all  knew  and  loved,  and  I  believe  you  will.  Nor  is  the 
Church  the  only  body  that  has  learned  of  your  work 
and  heroic  spirit ;  the  public  press  has  done  much  to 
familiarize  the  names  of  all  of  you.  You  will  find  it 
hard  to  live  up  afterwards  to  all  that  has  been  written 
in  your  praise.  But  we  deeply  sympathize  with  you 
in  your  travels  and  exposure,  with  hard  roads  and  hard 
fare ;  but  if  some  souls  have  been  saved,  some  strength- 
ened to  resist  temptation,  some  cheered,  some  brought 


THE  LAST  GREAT  ADVENTURE         367 

out  of  gloom  and  darkness,  some  inspired  to  hold  fast, 
surely  there  is  some  reward — '  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  to 
one  of  the  least  of  these  My  brethren,  ye  did  it  to 
Me.'  " 

That  letter  Mr.  Dickey  will  always  cherish  among  his 
household  gods. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  Mr.  Grant  returns. 
The  following  resolution  of  the  Assembly's  Home  Mis- 
sion Committee,  prepared  and  moved  by  Dr.  Robertson, 
seconded  by  Dr.  Armstrong,  sets  forth  the  high  appre- 
ciation of  their  missionary's  work  and  their  warm  wel- 
come to  him  on  his  return  : 

"  That  in  welcoming  Mr.  Grant  on  his  return  from  the 
Yukon,  the  Committee  desires  to  assure  him  of  their  high 
appreciation  of  the  valuable  service  rendered  by  him  in 
that  new  and  difficult  mission.  To  say  of  any  man  that 
he  found  a  mass  of  people  and  organized  them  into  a  con- 
gregation ;  that  in  a  year's  time  he  brought  it  up  to  the 
point  of  self-support;  that  he  succeeded  in  getting  a 
church  built  for  the  homeless  congregation,  and  paid  for, 
at  a  cost  of  $8,000 ;  that  he  acted  as  leader  in  building 
such  an  hospital  as  the  Good  Samaritan  Hospital  at  Daw- 
son,  and  from  its  inception  till  the  day  of  his  departure 
from  Dawson,  acted  as  its  medical  superintendent,  is  to 
bestow  high  praise.  These  things  Mr.  Grant  did,  and 
they  will  remain  a  monument  to  his  loyalty  to  the  Church, 
his  efficiency  as  a  missionary,  his  power  over  men,  the 
largeness  of  his  sympathies  and  his  willingness  as  a  good 
soldier  of  Jesus  Christ  to  endure  hardness." 

In  the  following  spring  it  was  found  necessary  on  the 
ground  of  broken  health  to  recall  Mr.  Pringle,  and  this 
is  done  by  the  following  resolution  : 

"That  in  view  of  the  privations  and  hardships  ex- 
perienced during  the  past  two  years,  the  Rev.  John 
Pringle  be  granted  three  months'  leave  of  absence,  that 


368       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

lie  be  allowed  the  sum  of  $225  to  cover  his  travelling  ex- 
penses, that  on  his  return  to  the  Yukon  he  be  appointed 
to  the  new  field  known  as  The  Creeks  (the  Committee  sug- 
gesting to  him  the  advisability  of  his  taking  his  family 
to  Dawson  City),  and  that  all  the  arrangements  in  con- 
nection with  his  holiday  be  left  in  the  hands  of  the  Home 
Mission  Executive." 

At  that  same  meeting  of  the  Committee  the  administra- 
tion of  the  Yukon  was  transferred  from  the  Assembly's 
Home  Mission  Committee  to  the  Presbytery  of  West- 
minster, with  which  Presbytery  the  Yukon  has  remained 
associated  to  this  present  time. 

During  its  short  history  the  Yukon  has  suffered  much 
at  the  hands  of  lawless  and  wicked  men  and  women,  but 
those  who  know  it  best  join  in  testimony  that  it  has  been 
saved  from  much  by  the  noble  character  of  those  who 
represented  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  that  northland, 
and  by  the  service  they  rendered  to  those  to  whom  it  was 
their  privilege  to  minister.  And  for  the  early  establish- 
ment and  the  energetic  prosecution  of  that  mission,  the 
Church  has  cause  to  be  grateful  to  the  faith,  the  courage, 
the  energy  of  the  Superintendent  who  selected  and  hur- 
ried forward  these  heroic  missionaries  to  that  remote  and 
perilous  field. 


XXXIII 

THE   NIGHT  COMETH  AND  ALSO  THE  MORNING 

THE  years  of  the  Yukon  campaign  were,  per- 
haps, the  most  intensely  active  years  of  the 
Superintendent's  whole  life.  Into  no  other  five 
years  did  he  pack  so  much  concentrated  effort,  and  no 
other  years  of  effort  were  crowned  with  such  brilliant 
success.  In  the  light  of  subsequent  events  we  can  now 
recognize  how  truly  heroic  those  years  were,  for  during 
the  whole  period,  silently  and  without  moan,  he  was 
fighting  and  losing  his  last  fight  with  a  deadly  disease. 
It  may  be  that  he  heard  the  call  that  warned  him  of  the 
coming  night,  and  that  he  felt  the  compulsion  of  the  hur- 
rying minutes. 

It  was  to  the  Synod  of  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest 
Territories  of  November,  1897,  that  Mr.  Gordon  made  the 
first  public  announcement  of  the  Superintendent's  serious 
illness,  and  from  that  hour  those  who  stood  nearest  to 
him  in  work  set  themselves  to  lighten  his  burden  and  to 
save  him  to  the  Church,  but  from  that  hour  till  his  last, 
he  seemed  to  press  more  and  more  eagerly  into  the  field. 
From  that  Synod  went  this  telegram  to  its  old  and  trusted 
leader : 

"  REV.  DR.  ROBERTSON,  Superintendent  of  Missions, 

11 62  Admiral  Road,  Toronto. 

"The  Synod  unitedly  prays  that  the  God  of  all 
comfort  may  be  with  you  and  restore  you  to  us  soon." 

369 


370       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Afterwards  the  following  resolution  of  sympathy  was 
likewise  sent  : 

"The  Synod  of  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tories learns  with  deep  regret  of  the  serious  illness  of  the 
Superintendent  of  Missions,  by  which  he  is  prevented 
from  attendance  at  this  meeting,  expresses  its  warm 
sympathy  with  Dr.  Robertson  and  his  family  in  his 
affliction,  and  urges  him  to  take  such  complete  rest  from 
all  work  as  may  serve  to  hasten  his  recovery. 

"The  Synod  prays,  as  it  has  already  joined  in  praying, 
that  Almighty  God  may  comfort  and  sustain  Dr.  Robert- 
son in  his  affliction  and  bless  the  means  employed  for  his 
speedy  recovery." 

In  response  there  came  from  him  to  his  brethren  the 
following  telegram  : 

"A  grateful  heart  thanks  Synod  for  message  of 
sympathy.  Condition  slightly  improved.  May  Synod's 
deliberations  be  abundantly  blessed. 

"  J.  ROBERTSON," 

and  afterwards  many  warm  and  grateful  letters  to  his  co- 
labourers  in  the  West.  The  following  letters  breathe  a 
spirit  of  such  tender,  humble  devotion  to  the  Master 
whom  he  served  and  of  such  grateful  affection  for  his  fel- 
low workers,  that  we  may  be  pardoned  for  printing  them 
in  full.  The  first  is  to  Mr.  Gordon. 


"  62  Admiral  Road,  Toronto,  Nov.  15, 
"  DEAR  GORDON  :  — 

"  Your  two  letters  were  duly  received  and  touched  me 
keenly,  because  I  felt  how  unworthy  I  was  of  all  that  was  said 
and  done  at  the  Synod,  and  is  being  said  now  by  letter  by  so 
many  of  my  brethren.  After  all  the  Synod  and  yourself  and 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  •    3T1 

others  have  done,  it  will  be  well-nigh  impossible  for  me  to  go 
West  again.  I  no  longer  wonder  how  demigods  and  other  gods 
of  that  ilk  were  made  and  worshipped,  after  all  that  a  grave 
and  Reverend — I  was  going  to  write  it  with  a  small  r  but  I 
corrected  myself  as  you,  with  your  young  eyes,  will  see — Synod 
will  do  in  the  case  of  a  very  ordinary  mortal  like  myself.  We 
are  all  a  band  of  brothers  working  with  one  Father  and  Elder 
Brother  to  establish  truth  and  righteousness  in  the  West,  and 
should  one  fall,  bury  him  and  let  the  rest  push  on  the  work. 
But  I  trust  I  am  not  to  be  taken  yet — 1  want  to  live  a  few  years 
longer  to  see  the  development  that  I  feel  sure  is  coming  one 
day,  and  I  think  is  drawing  near — and  I  would  like  to  do  a  lit- 
tle more  to  express  my  love  to  Him  who  is  all  my  salvation  and 
my  desire.  When  you  look  over  the  past  you  are  struck  with 
the  barren  waste.  What  have  you  done  ?  Whom  have  you 
helped  ?  There  has  been  opportunity,  but  it  has  not  been  em- 
braced, souls  to  cheer,  to  guide,  to  comfort,  but,  alas  !  it  was 
not  done.  But  regrets  are  vain  and  I  am  not  going  to  indulge 
in  them  now.  Thanks  for  all  the  news  about  the  Synod.  I 
hear  that  you  acquitted  yourself  well  as  usual — thank  you. 
And  I  am  glad  Dr.  King  made  a  financial  speech,  and  since  he 
can  be  strong  and  pointed  and  knows  the  situation,  I  hope  he 
did  not  put  on  gloves,  but  struck  with  bare  knuckles.  Some 
men  require  to  be  struck  a  stinging  blow  in  the  '  solar  plexus,' 
not  he  of  St.  Stephen's. 

"  There  was  a  Home  Mission  deficit  of  over  $4,000  last 
spring,  as  put  in  my  report  or  rather  yours.  See  the  Home 
Mission  financial  statement  in  Assembly  Report. 

"  By  writing  letters  when  not  too  tired,  I  am  doing  some- 
thing to  stir  up  an  interest.  Pastors,  I  find,  are  reading  letters 
to  congregations,  and  they  find  their  way  into  the  local  papers. 

"  You  do  not  know  how  you  relieve  me  by  your  presence 
and  work  in  Winnipeg.  May  God  reward  you — I  never  can. 

"  I  am  holding  my  own,  I  think;  I  cannot  say  I  am  gaining 
yet.  Dr.  Gilbert  Gordon  was  here  Saturday.  He  seems  to  be 
satisfied.  All  wish  to  be  remembered  to  you. 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"J.  ROBERTSON." 

Another  of  later  date  is  to  Mr.  McQueen,  in  whose 
fellowship  and  loyal  affection  he  has  ever  found  great 

joy- 


372       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"DEAR  MR.  MCQUEEN  : — 

"  I  hope  to  be  able  to  be  with  you  at  the  Presbytery  meet- 
ing, although  I  am  recovering  but  slowly.  I  conducted  the  an- 
niversary services  at  Blyth — my  late  father's  congregation — and 
gave  an  address  Monday  evening  on  Home  Missions  in  the  min- 
ing districts  of  British  Columbia,  and  I  found  that  I  had  by  no 
means  recovered  my  former  staying  power.  However,  I  am 
gaining  and  hope  to  be  with  you. 

"  I  have  been  unwell  for  more  than  a  year  past,  but  did  not 
know  that  a  dangerous  disease  had  fastened  itself  upon  me. 
Weight,  strength,  energy  went  down,  but  by  force  of  will  I  went 
on  doing  work.  A  collapse  came,  and  then  the  physician  told 
me  my  danger.  He  told  me  the  case  was  not  hopeless,  but  that 
rest  and  regimen  were  absolutely  necessary — I  am  taking  them 
as  best  I  can.  But  if  I  had  to  do  nothing  I  fear  I  should  die. 
I  think  there  is  a  slight  change  for  the  better,  and  I  hope  it 
may  continue.  Brethren  have  been  very  kind ;  in  fact,  it  was 
almost  worth  while  to  get  sick  to  know  how  much  good  people 
thought  was  in  you.  I  do  not  think  my  brethren  insincere — 
far  from  it — but  their  praise  was  very  embarrassing  because  you 
who  know  yourself  much  better  than  they  could,  detect  little  of 
what  they  appeared  to  see.  Mental  illusion  or  delusion.  But 
their  kindness  I  shall  never  forget.  But  I  have  no  idea  of  giv- 
ing up  yet,  and  I  hope  that  God  who  has  been  gracious  and 
kind,  will  spare  me  to  go  to  Edmonton. 

"  Give  my  very  kind  regards  to  Mrs.  McQueen  and  the  rest. 
And  my  wife  wishes  me  to  thank  for  her  all  who  show  an  inter- 
est in  my  recovery.  My  dear  fellow,  do  what  your  hand  finds 
to  do  now.  Lost  opportunities  are  an  awful  nightmare  on  a 
sick-bed.  Life  looks  so  barren  of  good  that  you  bless  God  for 
being  merciful. 

"  J.  ROBERTSON." 


With  these  letters  should  go  two  others.  They  are 
from  his  wife  to  Mrs.  Hart  who,  with  Professor  Hart,  had 
been  through  all  the  years  a  warmly  sympathetic  and  un- 
weariedly  helpful  friend,  and  they  are  a  window  into 
that  holy  place  of  sacrifice  where  the  Robertson  family 
have  made  offering  year  by  year  upon  the  altar  of  service 
to  Church  and  country,  of  which  sacrifice  and  altar  the 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  373 

wife  and  mother  stands  high  priestess.     The  first  bears 
the  date  November  26,  1897,  and  is  as  follows  : 

"  MY  DEAR  MRS.  HART  : — 

4 'Your  kind  words  of  love  and  sympathy  were  very 
much  appreciated  by  us,  and  we  thank  you  for  them.  It  is 
pleasant  to  know  that  you  all  take  so  much  interest  in  one  so 
near  and  dear.  I  trust  your  prayers  on  his  behalf  are  being 
answered,  and  that  in  God's  good  time  he  may  be  restored  to 
health.  We  were  thankful  that  he  got  home  before  he  was 
taken  ill,  and  we  are  glad  to  have  him  with  us  even  sick.  We 
need  him,  and  he  needs  us  none  the  less. 

"  He  is  improving,  though  somewhat  slowly,  and  I  hope  he 
may  be  induced  to  take  sufficient  rest  now,  so  that  there  may  be 
no  relapse. 

"Though  unable  to  go  around  to  give  addresses,  he  is  busy 
the  greater  part  of  the  day  with  work  for  the  Church — writing, 
writing — too  much,  I  think,  but  it  is  difficult  to  restrain  him, 
and  he  would  be  thinking  of  it  anyway,  which  would  be  nearly 
as  bad. 

"  You  Western  people  seem  to  think  you  own  the  Doctor. 
All  the  cry  is,  '  Get  better  and  come  back  to  us. '  What  about 
wife  and  family  ?  I  am  rather  jealous  for  my  rights.  But 
really  the  people  have  all  been  extremely  kind.  Thank  you 
once  more. 

"  Give  our  kindest  regards  to  Professor  Hart  and  the  young 
people.  Remember  me  to  Miss  La wson .  Love  to  your  dear  self. 

"  Your  sincere  friend, 

"  M.  A.  ROBERTSON." 

"  Jealous  ! "  alas,  poor  wife,  she  has  him  for  a  while  to 
herself,  and  what  wonder  that  she  stands  almost  fiercely 
on  guard. 

To  Mrs.  Hart's  answer  there  comes  this  reply  which, 
more  than  any  quoted  in  these  pages,  penetrates  the  heart 
with  its  poignant  pathos.  It  is  as  follows  : 

"62  Admiral  Road,  Toronto,  Dec.  18,  1897. 
"  MY  DEAR  MRS.  HART  : — 

"Judging  from  the  number  of  letters  that  go  to  Winni- 
peg from  62  Admiral  Road,  I  presume  you  are  in  possession 


374       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

of  all  the  information  I  can  give  you.  However,  I  want  to 
write  to  let  you  know  how  welcome  your  letter  was  with  its 
news  and  with  its  comfort,  and  how  much  I  appreciate  your 
interest  in  us. 

"  The  Doctor  still  continues  to  improve.  He  is  stronger, 
his  colour  better,  his  skin  softer  and  more  moist,  the  pains 
or  cramps  in  his  limbs  pretty  much  gone,  and  he  feels  better. 
He  can  walk  for  an  hour  or  even  two  each  day,  without  being 
very  much  fatigued,  but  he  still  keeps  very  thin,  one  might 
say  almost  skin  and  bone.  We  get  the  best  of  everything  he 
is  allowed  to  eat,  and  I  do  all  the  preparing  and  serving  my- 
self. He  has  a  good  appetite,  too  (I  am  told  that  is  a  char- 
acteristic of  the  disease),  and  relishes  four  meals  each  day, 
except  occasionally  when  confined  to  bed. 

"Maybe  you  saw  from  the  papers  that  he  attended  the 
Toronto  Presbytery  and  gave  an  address.  This  evening  he 
went  to  Hamilton  to  address  Dr.  Lyle's  congregation  to- 
morrow. 

"He  is  very  anxious  to  get  better  and  to  work,  and  I  am 
sure  the  prayers  and  expressions  of  love  and  sympathy  from 
his  many  friends  have  comforted  and  cheered  him.  To  all 
of  those  we  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude,  and  especially  to  those 
in  the  West,  whose  kindness  we  can  never  forget. 

"Probably  you  were  right  when  you  said  I  would  not  like 
it  any  better  were  you  to  say,  (  Get  better  and  stay  in  Toronto.' 
I  do  not  think  he  would  be  any  better  away  from  home.  He 
certainly  would  take  work  or  make  it,  and  he  could  not  have 
the  care  and  attention  he  receives  here. 

"  It  will  be  quite  a  treat  to  have  him  with  us  during  the 
Xmas  season.  Never  once  since  1881  has  he  been  at  home  for 
the  holiday  season. 

"Love  from  all  of  us  to  you  and  yours.  May  your  Xmas 
be  a  happy  and  joyous  one. 

"  Your  loving  friend, 

"M.  A.  ROBERTSON." 

Home  "  once"  only  in  sixteen  years  for  the  Christmas 
season  and  that  by  reason  of  sickness. 

Soon  he  is  better  and  out  again  upon  the  field.  In- 
deed, his  eager  spirit  has  never  for  a  moment  been  ab- 
sent from  its  activities,  and  with  such  dash  aud  vigour 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  375 

does  he  lead,  that  he  deceives  his  friends  and  perhaps 
himself  as  to  his  true  condition. 

At  its  March  meeting  in  1898,  the  Home  Mission 
Committee  seeks  to  relieve  him  of  the  more  laborious 
features  of  his  work,  and  appoints  him  Field  Secretary, 
hoping  that  he  may  give  to  others  those  long,  wearisome 
journeys  through  the  wide  extent  of  his  Western  field. 
But  it  is  quite  useless.  Field  Secretary  he  may  be,  but 
that  will  not  withdraw  him  from  the  field.  Nay,  if  he 
be  Field  Secretary,  surely  the  field  must  claim  him  more 
and  more.  So  in  September  of  that  year  we  find  him 
more  in  the  thick  of  the  work  than  ever.  The  two 
following  letters  give  us  the  programme  for  two  of  his 
journeys : 

"  Gains boro,  Assa.,  Sept.  I,  1898. 
"  DEAR  MRS.  HART  : — 

"  The  programme  has  been  so  far  carried  out  to  the 
letter.  The  day  I  left  you  I  got  to  Napinka  and  held  a  meet- 
ing in  the  evening  ;  Thursday  I  got  to  Oxbow  and  went  south 
seventeen  miles  to  a  meeting,  returning  the  same  night ; 
Friday  I  spent  corresponding,  and  addressed  a  meeting  in 
the  evening ;  Saturday  drove  forty-seven  miles  with  a  lame 
*  plug '  that  made  me  weary  to  finish  the  journey  ;  Sabbath, 
three  services  and  a  drive  of  forty- three  miles — Moose  Mountain 
field ;  Monday,  a  drive  of  forty-three  miles,  a  runaway,  a 
broken  pole,  but  '  nobody  hurt,'  and  a  successful  meeting; 
Tuesday,  meeting  at  Carievale,  well  attended,  and  a  drive 
to  Gainsboro  afterwards,  nine  or  ten  miles ;  Wednesday, 
correspondence,  drive  south  to  Winland,  meeting  and  return 
here;  to-day  going  to  Estevan.  Strength  remaining,  but 
diet  not  quite  the  right  kind.  Country  people  are  very 
kind,  but  limited  as  to  range  in  furnishing  meals.  White 
bread,  canned  fruit,  and  jams  are  always  in  evidence,  while 
eggs,  etc.,  have  to  be  asked  for.  They  are  tired  of  them 
themselves,  and  think  others  are  too.  But  I  am  doing  very 
well. 

"  Missions  I  find  in  a  state  requiring  attention.  I  am 
getting  them  to  pull  up — in  some  cases,  to  nearly  double  former 
contributions. 


376       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

"  Mrs.  R  -  and  the  rest  were  well,  as  I  learned  two  days 
ago. 

"  With  grateful  remembrances  of  all  your  kindness,  and 
asking  to  be  remembered  to  Professor  Hart,  Miss  Ethel  and 
Mr.  William, 

"With  great  respect, 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"J.  ROBERTSON." 


"  Revelstoke,  B.  C.,  Sept.  12, 
"  DEAR  MRS.  HART  :  — 

"  So  far  I  have  got  on  my  journey  filling  all  appoint- 
ments, and  although  I  am  not  quite  fresh,  yet  I  am  holding 
out  fairly  well.  I  attended  the  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Calgary  at  Medicine  Hat  on  Tuesday  last,  and  posted  off  that 
night  to  Calgary,  and  reached  Edmonton  on  Wednesday 
evening,  and  gave  an  address  at  a  public  meeting.  Thurs- 
day attended  Presbytery  meeting,  and  we  finished  business 
Friday,  visited,  and  conducted  service  in  the  evening,  baptiz- 
ing six  children,  the  minister's  infant  daughter  being  one. 
Saturday  returned  to  Calgary,  and  conducted  two  services 
Sabbath,  and  got  here  this  evening.  To-morrow  morning  I 
am  going  away  to  a  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of  Kamloops 
at  Nelson,  and  returning  to  go  to  Vancouver.  The  first  basket 
I  got  safely,  and  saw  the  second  at  Calgary  when  going  to 
Edmonton,  but  could  not  get  it  this  morning  —  the  agent  was 
absent.  I  am  getting  it  sent  here,  so  that  on  my  return  from 
Nelson  I  may  get  it.  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  but  I 
am  ashamed  to  put  you  to  so  much  trouble.  I  received  con- 
siderable help  from  the  gluten  bread. 

"  I  have  heard  from  home,  and  all  are  well.  Mr.  Gordon 
I  hope  to  meet  in  the  Kootenay  on  Wednesday. 

"Kind  regards  to  Professor  Hart,  Miss  Ethel,  Mr.  William 
and  your  '  Scorrish  '  cousin.  With  best  thanks  and  warmest 
esteem, 

"  Believe  me  to  be,  dear  Mrs.  Hart, 

"Yours  sincerely, 

"J.  ROBERTSON." 

The  anniversary  of  his  wife's  birthday  and  of  their 
marriage,  the  23d  of  September,  finds  husband  push- 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  377 

ing  along  the  dusty  mountain  trails,  and  wife  waiting 
at  home  in  anxiety  and  fear  for  tidings.  He  cannot  be 
with  her  to  celebrate ;  a  telegram  and  letter  must  do. 
These  anniversary  letters  are  too  sacred  for  any  printed 
page,  but  from  this  one  we  may  select  some  paragraphs  : 

"Last  night  I  sent  you  congratulations  for  to-day, 
which  is  the  anniversary  of  your  birth  and  of  our  mar- 
riage. I  would  have  liked  very  much  to  have  been  able 
to  be  with  you,  but  it  seems  always  difficult  of  being 
realized,  owing  to  my  engagements. 

"  On  my  arrival  here  I  got  your  letter,  and  after  read- 
ing it  I  felt  doubly  sorry  to  be  away.  I  suppose  you  did 
your  best  with  the  children.  I  spent  last  night  without 
sleep  on  the  train,  and  to-day  in  a  heated  atmosphere  till 
4  P.  M.  It  was  not  like  the  anniversary  of  our  wedding, 
but  it  could  not  be  helped. 

"  I  am  sorry— sorrier  than  you,  I  think,  that  we  have 
not  been  more  together,  and  especially  sorry  for  you.  If 
you  have  had  the  pleasure  of  the  children's  company 
you  have  had  all  the  trouble  in  connection  with  them  and 
their  upbringing.  Of  this  I  would  willingly  have  re- 
lieved you  in  part,  but  could  not.  I  am  thankful  to  God 
that  you  have  been  able  to  do  it  so  well.  And  it  will  be 
some  satisfaction  to  you  if  in  the  providence  of  God  they 
turn  out  well,  that  you  have  been  able  to  do  so  much  for 
them  even  although  the  work  was  hard  and  the  task  re- 
sponsible. 

"  But  as  I  was  thinking  of  the  past,  I  do  not  know  that 
you  would  have  been  better  with  any  of  the  other  fellows 
who  coveted  your  hand  so  much.  Poor  Adam  left  life 
early,  Mac  has  long  since  gone  after  him.  Matheson  and 
you  would  not  agree,  nor  would  Wilson  or  Cowing.  I 
cannot  really  tell  how  many  more  you  had.  It  would 
seem  as  if  S was  your  only  hope  in  the  matter  of  per- 
manent companionship,  and  him  you  refused.  Had  you 


378       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

known,  however,  that  you  would  be  so  much  of  the  time 
separated  from  me,  I  suppose  you  would  have  had  noth- 
ing to  do  with  me,  and  then  our  dear  children  would  be 
calling  some  one  else  father.  As  for  me,  I  suppose  had  I 
known  that  my  life  would  have  been  such  as  it  is,  I  would 
not  have  presumed  to  ask  any  person  to  be  my  partner, 
and  my  past  and  future  would  have  a  different  hue. 
Well,  things  are  as  they  are,  nor  am  I  sorry,  but  the  re- 
verse, except  in  the  matter  of  such  frequent  and  long 
separations.  My  wife  promised  to  be  loving  and  faith- 
ful, and  she  has  kept  her  part  of  the  covenant  during 
these  years,  and  if  to-day  ended  the  contract,  I  would 
with  all  my  heart  ask  her  to  renew  it  again  for  life. 
Were  I  to  say  more,  you  would  say  I  was  trying  to  please 
you  without  my  heart  being  in  my  words,  and  this  has 
never  been  the  case.  My  dear  wife  I  loved  and  love 
and  will  while  life  lasts  or  reason  holds  the  throne.  I 
know  she  insists  on  measuring  me  by  her  own  bushel,  but 
I  think  that  mine  is  more  just  and  I  must  continue  to  use 
it.  Kiss  our  dear  children.  Tell  them  the  story  of  your 
courtship,  of  your  beaux  and  your  troubles  with  them, 
of  your  desire  to  marry  two,  if  not  three  of  them,  if  not 
to  please  yourself,  to  please  them,  and  the  hard  luck  that 
gave  you  their  father.  You  could  entertain  them  for  an 
evening,  and  I  venture  to  say  they  would  listen." 

British  Columbia  with  its  mining  activity  is  now  the 
danger  zone  of  the  Dominion,  hence  he  must  be  on  the 
ground,  and  with  his  old  disregard  of  personal  comfort 
and  of  health,  he  outlines  his  programme  and  then  pro- 
ceeds relentlessly  to  fill  it  in. 

In  August,  1899,  the  Superintendent  spent  two  weeks 
in  the  Boundary  Country.  The  story  of  that  campaign  is 
told  in  a  paper  by  the  Rev.  H.  J.  Robertson.  So  simple, 
so  direct,  so  vivid  is  this  narrative,  and  such  a  picture 
does  it  give  of  heroic  endurance  on  the  part  of  the  old 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  379 

chief  and  of  loyal  devotion  on  the  part  of  his  young 
clansman,  that  it  is  without  apology  set  down  here. 

"It  was  in  August,  1899,  Dr.  Eobertson  came  to  Nel- 
son on  his  way  to  Eossland,  where  the  new  Presbytery 
of  Kootenay  was  to  be  organized.  He  was  looking  exceed- 
ingly well.  We  went  on  to  Eossland  together,  and  after 
concluding  Presbytery  business,  Dr.  Eobertson  left  for 
Marcus,  Washington  State,  on  Thursday  morning,  en 
route  to  Grand  Forks.  From  Marcus  his  travelling  was 
to  be  by  stage  forty -five  miles  to  Grand  Forks,  twenty 
miles  to  Greenwood,  twelve  miles  to  Midway  and  return, 
with  Cascade,  Columbia,  Phoenix  and  Eholt  to  visit  by 
the  way.  The  following  Thursday  morning  I  met  him 
at  the  station  in  Nelson.  He  was  old  and  haggard  and 
played  out,  scarcely  able  to  walk.  I  took  his  l  grip ' 
while  he,  in  his  fatherly  way,  took  my  arm,  and  as  we 
went  up  the  hill  together  told  me  what  he  had  been  do- 
ing during  the  past  week.  It  had  been  long  drives  by 
stage,  meetings  every  night,  consultations  with  minis- 
ters and  missionaries  and  managers,  letter- writing  till 
after  midnight,  and  up  at  daybreak  to  catch  the  early 
stages.  During  the  week  he  had  averaged  about  two 
hours'  sleep  a  night.  Little  wonder,  then,  that  he  was 
played  out. 

"He  rested  that  day  in  Nelson  in  Mr.  Frew's  apart- 
ments, and  while  he  dictated  I  wrote  many  letters  for 
him.  Friday  morning  he  was  off  again  by  the  seven 
o'clock  train  for  Slocan,  where  he  held  a  meeting  that 
night.  Saturday  he  visited  New  Denver,  Eoseberry,  and 
Three  Forks,  getting  to  Sandon  that  evening.  Sunday 
morning  he  preached  in  Sandon,  and  by  the  afternoon 
train  went  over  to  Kaslo,  where  he  preached  in  the 
evening. 

"It  was  in  Sandon,  on  Friday,  that  he  was  taken  ill 
with  dysentery,  and  by  Sunday  evening  was  so  weak  that 


380       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

he  was  unable  to  stand  during  the  service,  so  sat  down  by 
the  pulpit  and  addressed  the  people.  Monday  evening 
he  was  off  by  the  boat  for  Ainsworth.  A  meeting  had 
been  arranged  for  at  that  place  and  he  simply  had  to 
keep  his  engagements,  so  he  said.  At  Ainsworth  he  lay 
down  in  the  missionary's  shack  during  the  day — too  ill  to 
move  out,  and  in  the  evening  presided  at  the  meeting  for 
which  he  had  come — and  again  he  was  too  weak  to  stand. 
That  night  I  passed  up  the  lake  bound  for  the  Lardeau 
district,  which  the  Superintendent  had  asked  me  to  ex- 
plore, and  as  we  saw  the  lighted  church  from  the  boat  I 
wondered  how  it  was  going  with  the  old  man,  but  little 
thought  that  he  was  in  such  dire  straits. 

"  Tuesday  night  Dr.  Robertson  was  billed  for  a  meeting 
at  Ymir,  a  little  mining  town  seventeen  miles  south  of 
Nelson.  This  was  the  last  engagement  in  West  Kootenay 
and  he  was  determined  to  fulfill  it.  By  steamer  he  came 
down  the  lake  from  Ainsworth  to  Five  Mile  Point  where 
he  got  the  morning  train  south  to  Ymir." 

He  was  ill,  dangerously  ill,  but  getting  medicine  from 
the  Ymir  druggist,  he  held  his  meeting.  A  week  later 
Mr.  Robertson  heard  that  the  Superintendent  was  still  in 
Ymir,  detained  by  sickness.  At  once  Robertson  set  off 
from  Nelson  for  Ymir,  walking  the  seventeen  miles  in 
four  hours,  over  the  most  difficult  trail  he  had  ever 
travelled. 

u  On  inquiring  for  Dr.  Robertson,  I  was  directed  to  the 
home  of  a  man  whose  name  I  have  forgotten.  Here  I 
found  the  old  hero  wonderfully  well,  as  I  had  been  im- 
agining all  sorts  of  things  on  my  way  over.  Before  I  had 
time  to  make  any  inquiry  about  himself,  he  began  to  ply 
me  with  questions. 

"  '  Hello  !    Where  have  you  come  from  ?  9 

"'  From  Nelson.7 

"'When?' 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  381 

"<  To-day.' 

"  l  Where  have  you  been  since  the  train  came  in  four 
hours  ago  ?  Where  did  you  get  the  mud  on  your  boots  !  ' 

1  i  l  Oh,  I  got  that  walking  over  from  Nelson.  I  missed 
the  train  and  walked  over.' 

"  *  Well,  what  did  you  walk  over  here  for  t  I  thought 
you  were  up  in  Lardeau.' 

"  'I  came  down  last  night  to  Nelson  and  heard  this 
morning  that  you  were  sick,  so  came  over  to  look  after 
you.'  It  had  never  entered  the  old  man's  head  that  any 
one  would  walk  any  distance  to  see  him.  When  he  heard 
why  I  had  come,  he  said  nothing,  but  I  saw  his  eyes  fill 
with  tears,  and  I  had  my  reward. 

"We  went  back  to  Nelson  that  same  afternoon,  and 
from  the  station,  where  we  found  Mr.  Creasse  waiting 
with  a  cab,  we  drove  to  Dr.  Arthur's,  and  from  there  to 
Mr.  James  Lawrence,  a  son  of  the  Eev.  James  Lawrence, 
formerly  of  Stony  Mountain.  Here  Dr.  Eobertson  re- 
mained and  rested  another  day,  while  I  was  kept  busy 
writing  letters,  making  new  engagements  for  the  follow- 
ing weeks. 

"A  few  weeks  later,  he  preached  on  Sunday  morning 
in  St.  Stephen's,  Winnipeg.  At  the  close  of  the  service 
he  found  out  Mrs.  Murray  and  told  her  that  he  had  seen 
her  nephew,  Eobertson,  in  British  Columbia,  and  'he 
wlalked  seventeen  miles  to  see  me  when  I  was  sick.' ' 

God  bless  the  young  man  !  and  God  give  him  a  great 
ministry !  He  served  us  all  that  day  in  serving  Him 
whom  we  would  so  gladly  serve. 

The  great  expansion  in  British  Columbia  and  the  estab- 

(lishing  of  the  Yukon  Mission  leave  the  Committee  strug- 
gling with  a  deficit,  which  deficit  sends  the  Superintend- 
ent through  Eastern  Canada  on  the  hunt  for  funds  till 
his  strength  fails.  Then  the  Executive, .  needing  men 
more  sorely  than  it  needs  money,  hurries  the  Superin- 


382       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

tendent  off  to  Scotland  to  bear  greetings  to  the  Union  As- 
sembly of  the  Free  and  United  Presbyterian  Churches 
there,  and  to  win  the  continued  interest  of  the  united 
Church  in  Western  Canada,  and  to  get  men.  The  Exec- 
utive is  hopeful,  too,  that  with  leagues  of  sea  between  him 
and  his  field,  their  Field  Secretary  may,  perchance,  be 
manoeuvred  into  rest. 

To  their  mutual  delight,  his  wife  accompanies  her  hus- 
band upon  this  trip.  His  work  the  Superintendent  ap- 
portions to  one  and  another  of  his  colleagues,  for  he  is  not 
the  man  to  leave  it  uncared  for.  Hence  the  following  let- 
ter to  Mr.  Gordon : 

"  Cunard  R.  M.  S.  f  Lucania?  October  25,  1900. 
"  DEAR  MR.  GORDON  : — 

"  When  I  left  Winnipeg  a  few  things  that  I  was  to  attend 
to  were  left  unsettled.  Mr.  McLaren  of  Vancouver  wanted  a 
man  for  Fairview — a  part  of  Vancouver  like  Mt.  Pleasant — I 
wanted  to  see  G.  C.  Grant  about  going  there,  but  did  not  have 
a  chance."  And  so  through  the  whole  list  of  men  and  fields, 
each  having  received  his  personal  care  and  attention. 

"  D 1  was  trying  to  get  settled  at  Leduc.     He  was  ready 

to  go,  but  his  wife  was  afraid  of  being,  like  Lot's  wife,  turned, 

not  into  a  pillar  of  salt,  but  a  pillar  of  ice.     But  D has  been 

tried  in  a  number  of  places  in  British  Columbia,  and  does  not 
fit  anywhere,  and  hence  I  was  anxious  to  try  him  on  the  Alberta 
plains  to  see  how  he  would  do.  Will  you  follow  this  out, 
too? 

"I  told  Tina,  before  I  left  Toronto,  to  send  you  all  letters, 
after  consulting  Dr.  Warden  in  reference  to  cases  he  should 
consider,  and  I  told  Dr.  Warden  to  send  you  any  men  he  had 
and  that  you  would  place  them.  The  list  of  vacancies  I  sent 
you ;  for  fear  it  got  lost  or  miscarried,  let  me  repeat.  .  .  . 

"  I  have  asked  the  other  Conveners  to  write  you  about  men. 

"I  left  on  my  table,  when  I  left  home,  the  material  for  a 
Home  Mission  report  to  the  Synod ;  Tessie  will  likely  send  it 
to  you.  You  and  Mr.  Farquharson  can  arrange  its  matter,  and 
add  to  it  as  you  deem  best,  and  present  it  with  my  apologies 
for  my  absence.  The  Augmentation  report  I  sent  you  ere  I 
left. 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  383 

"  The  treasurer's  report  you  will  also  present.  Get  all  moneys 
due — accounts  were  sent  to  everybody  in  time — and  enter  them 
in  the  book.  I  told  Tessie  to  send  you  the  book,  the  receipted 
bills,  and  the  stubs  of  checks  Mr.  Farquharson  made  out  to 
Conveners  attending  meetings  of  Home  Mission  Committee. 
These  will,  I  trust,  be  accepted  as  vouchers.  The  checks  them- 
selves are  in  the  bank.  If  anything  needs  explanation  I  shall 
give  it  on  return. 

"Best  regards, 

"J.  ROBERTSON." 

After  two  months  of  visiting  training-schools,  insti- 
tutes and  colleges,  his  physician  sends  him  off  with  his 
wife  to  the  Hydropathic  at  Crieff,  with  strict  orders  to 
rest.  From  this  somewhat  gay  watering-place  he  writes 
this  delightfully  bright  and  breezy  letter  to  Mrs.  Hart  on 
New  Year's  Day,  1901 : 

"  On  this  day  that  ushers  in  the  new  year  and  new  cen- 
tury, I  feel  I  must  write  you,  if  only  a  note,  to  offer  you, 
Professor  Hart,  Ethel  and  Willie,  the  greetings  of  the 
season.  May  heaven's  best  blessings  be  bestowed  on  you 
all  this  year,  and  may  the  century  be  called  old  before 
you  are  forced  to  admit  that  you  feel  as  if  you  were  be- 
ginning to  get  old. 

"Well,  we  are  here  by  doctor's  orders,  and  trying  to 
get  back  strength  lost.  Losing,  I  find,  is  easier  than 
gaining.  In  a  sense  I  am  gaining,  and  yet  things  are  not 

satisfactory.  To-day,  Mrs.  E and  I  had  a  good  walk 

— four  miles — and  at  the  end  of  our  trip  she  was  more 
tired  than  I.  And  yet,  sugar  is  in  my  blood,  in  my  feet, 
in  my  hands— I  feel  it,  the  crystals  scratching  and  irri- 
tating, and  causing  local  swellings.  But  enough  of  this. 
Mrs.  E is  well  and  enjoys  her  rest. 

"  I  have  not  been  addressing  congregations  or  Presby- 
teries. I  did  address  the  people  here  on  two  occasions, 
and  was  given  two  contributions  of  £300  each,  or  nearly 
$3,000  in  all.  I  am  willing  to  hire  myself  out  for  the  rest 


384:       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

of  my  days,  well  or  ill,  at  that  figure.  I  am  writing 
leaflets,  letters,  etc.,  etc.,  and  trying  to  awaken  an  inter- 
est in  that  way  j  but  the  people  here  are  self-centred,  in- 
sular, provincial  in  their  ideas — small  to  a  marvel,  con- 
sidering the  talk  about  Empire  and  Evangelization,  En- 
lightenment, and  all  the  other  E's  they  are  supposed  to 
have  and  use.  And  this  Union  has  left  little  time  for  one 
section  of  the  Church  to  do  but  ask  '  Where  are  we  at  t ' 
The  United  Presbyterians  seem  to  be  glad,  but  the  Frees 
look  to  me  as  if  they  thought  that  they  had  married  just 
a  little  below  them.  But  °tis  done,  the  great  transac- 
tion's done/  and  they  must  make  the  best  of  it.  Meet- 
ings have  been  held  in  all  the  centres  of  population,  Glas- 
gow, Paisley,  Perth,  Inverness,  Dundee,  Aberdeen,  etc.,  to 
celebrate  the  event,  and  all  passed  off  very  well.  A  Free 
Church  fragment — mostly  Highlanders — stayed  out — 
a  great  pity,  as  they  cannot  hope  to  accomplish  anything. 
It  will  take  the  congregations  all  their  time  to  live,  and 
the  ministers  of  some  of  them  will  scarcely  command  milk 
for  their  porridge.  Time  will  reveal  the  failure. 

"This  Hydro,  just  now  is  like  a  fair.  There  must  be 
250  people  here.  From  all  parts  they  come.  And  such 
a  display  of  silk  and  jewellery,  of  arms  and  shoulders,  I 
have  never  seen.  But  with  their  style  and  charms,  I 
think  I  have  seen  a  girl  near  Manitoba  College  some- 
where, that  I  would  match  against  the  most  captivating 
and  capturing  of  them  all.  More  than  once  I  wished  she 
was  here.  To-night  we  had  a  splendid  spread,  haggis 
brought  in  with  Highland  honours,  regular  big  paunches, 
steaming  hot,  on  four  huge  trays  borne  aloft,  followed  by 
as  many  bottles  fully  displayed.  Down  one  aisle  headed 
by  the  piper  they  went,  and  up  the  other,  guests  stand- 
ing and  cheering.  Afterwards  i  Comietta '  in  the  recrea- 
tion-room, followed  by  dancing.  We  had  prayers  in  the 
drawing-room  at  9  : 45.  I  looked  in  on  the  others  after- 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  385 

wards,  waltzing  iii  full  swing.  Strange  mixture  of  piety 
and  gayety  here.  I  am  in  the  '  writing-room  now,  all 
alone — not  all  alone — couples  come  in  here,  and  tete-a-t6tes 
are  proceeding.  I  long  to  tell  them  I  cannot  hear  well,  so 
that  they  may  have  more  freedom,  but  I  '  don't  like  to.' 
But  enough. 

"No  plans  for  the  future.  I  am  going  to  address 
students  in  Edinburgh  next  week,  and  Presbytery  of 
Perth.  The  following  week  I  may  go  to  Budapest; 
Mr.  Allan  is  arranging  for  ticket,  passport,  etc. 

"  With  kindest  regards  from  both  of  us  to  you  all.  I 
wish  we  had  a  little  of  your  weather.  Nothing  here  but 
fog,  mist,  cloud,  rain,  slop.  Fall  of  soft  snow  Sunday, 
but  it  did  not  stay." 

By  the  kind  thoughtfulness  of  Mr.  E.  S.  Allan  of 
Glasgow,  whose  guests  they  are  for  a  few  days,  Dr. 
Robertson  and  his  wife  are  sent  off  to  Budapest  where 
there  is  to  be  a  great  gathering  of  students.  He  has  a 
most  cordial  reception  and  secures  for  Western  work  two 
men.  His  experiences  on  the  continent  and  his  opinions 
thereupon,  are  worth  recording.  We  select  the  following 
extract  from  a  letter  to  Dr.  Hart : 

"  Learning  that  there  were  colleges  at  Debritszen  and 
Koloszvar,  I  arranged  to  go  there,  and  had  enthusiastic 
meetings,  although  the  students  had  never  heard  of 
Canada,  and  one  of  the  professors,  who  interpreted  for 
me,  stopped  me  in  my  address  and  asked  me  whether, 
when  I  said  Canada  was  nearly  as  large  as  Europe,  I  did 
not  mean  Europe  without  Russia?  When  I  answered 
that  I  meant  all  west  of  the  Ural  Mountains  and  the 
Ural  River,  the  students  made  a  sort  of  noise  that  I 
never  heard  except  in  Hungary,  but  which  I  was  told 
was  a  cheer.  At  both  places  the  bishops  attended,  and 
showed  great  interest ;  and  when  I  called  on  one  of  them 
privately  he  offered,  if  we  sent  two  Hungarians  home,  to 


380       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

educate  and  board  and  lodge  them  for  the  four  years' 
course  in  Theology  free  of  cost.  This  offer  he  made  as 
Bishop,  he  said,  and  the  interpreter,  Professor  Ciszy — 
pronounced  Cheeky — informed  me  that  this  was  as  good 
as  a  bond,  and  binding  on  his  successor. 

"  Returning  to  Budapest,  we  arranged  to  start  for 
Vienna,  where  we  spent  the  Sabbath.  We  attended  the 
Free  Church  Mission  in  the  forenoon,  and  I  addressed 
the  Reformed  Congregation  in  the  evening,  and  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  Monday  on  mission  work  in  the  West. 
Tuesday  we  came  to  Prague,  and  I  instituted  inquiries 
about  the  Bohemians.  I  made  little  of  it.  There  is  not 
much  of  a  Church,  and  it  is  morally  rotten,  not  the 
Church  from  which  to  get  missionaries.  Then  we  pushed 
on  here,  where  Mr.  Macmillau,  brother  of  Mr.  Macmillan 
of  Lindsay,  looked  up  quarters  for  us.  I  called  on  Dr. 
Merensky,  the  head  of  a  Foreign  Mission  College  here, 
and  have  the  prospect  of  getting  some  men  through  him. 

i  i  But  I  have  concluded  that  it  is  scarcely  safe  to  get 
many  men  from  Europe.  They  have  the  mercenary,  far 
more  than  the  missionary,  spirit  developed  ;  spiritual  life 
is  not  as  requisite  for  spiritual  work,  nor  does  a  man 
need  to  believe  what  he  teaches  any  more  than  a  lawyer. 
Worse,  they  are  not  clean  in  the  great  majority  of  cases. 
From  ninety  to  ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the  theological 
students  even  of  the  Reformed  Church  are  said  by  minis- 
ters to  be  unclean.  Unbelief  is  spreading  rapidly,  and 
the  ranks  of  the  l  Social  Democrats J  being  rapidly  re- 
cruited. Can  any  good  come  out  of  Nazareth  ?  Better 
try  to  get  or  train  men  amid  better  surroundings.  But 
enough  of  this.77 

From  the  continent  he  returns  not  greatly  improved  in 
health,  but  still  hopeful  and  eager  for  recruits  for  Canada. 
He  is  home  in  the  spring  of  1901  in  time  for  the  March 
meeting  of  the  Committee.  By  the  Committee  he  is  wel- 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  387 

corned  with  grateful  affection  for  his  own  sake  and  for 
the  work  he  has  done.  He  reports  that  he  has  secured 
forty-two  men  and  over  $10,000  in  cash  or  in  promises, 
and  the  Committee,  lifted  out  of  the  slough  of  a  threat- 
ened deficit,  faces  the  General  Assembly  with  the  report 
of  such  splendid  achievement  as  has  never  been  equalled 
in  the  history  of  the  Church.  This  report  is  presented 
by  the  Superintendent  himself  with  his  accustomed  fresh- 
ness and  force,  and  is  received  by  the  Assembly  with 
great  enthusiasm. 

A  supplementary  report  is  presented  by  the  Moderator, 
the  Eev.  Dr.  Warden,  Convener  of  the  Home  Mission 
Committee,  praying  the  Assembly  to  arrange  for  some 
adequate  assistance  to  Dr.  Eobertson  in  the  matter  of 
superintendence.  This  request,  upon  motion  of  the 
Eev.  J.  W.  Macmillan,  seconded  by  Dr.  Bryce,  is  granted. 
"With  simple  dignity  the  Superintendent  thanks  the 
Assembly  for  the  kind  though tfulness  in  this  matter,  and 
the  work  of  superintendence  of  Western  missions  enters 
upon  a  new  phase. 

He  is  often  on  his  feet  during  this  Assembly.  Against 
the  advice  of  many  of  his  friends  who  know  the  hope- 
lessness of  it,  he  moves  the  Home  Mission  Committee's 
recommendation  requesting  the  Women's  Foreign  Mis- 
sion Society  to  widen  the  scope  of  its  activity  to  embrace 
Home  as  well  as  Foreign  Mission  work.  It  is  the  last  of 
a  long  series  of  efforts  in  this  direction,  and  it  fails. 

Dr.  Eobertson  has  sometimes  been  criticised  as  being- 
hostile  to  Foreign  Mission  work.  None  who  know  his 
attitude  would  so  criticise  him.  To  no  one  would  he 
yield  in  loyalty  to  the  cause  of  Foreign  Missions,  but  to 
him  it  was  simply  a  question  of  procedure.  The  great 
world  outside  was  the  objective,  but  the  immediate  base 
was  the  Canadian  West.  And  no  amount  of  devotion 
to  the  work  in  China  could  atone,  in  his  opinion,  for 


388       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

neglect  of  Canada ;  and  no  amount  of  zeal  for  work  in 
the  Foreign  field  would  recover  the  ground  lost  to  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven  through  indifference  to  the  needs  of 
Canada.  This  was  his  attitude,  and  it  is  an  attitude  per- 
fectly reasonable  and  one  easily  understood. 

In  this  his  last  Assembly,  Dr.  Robertson  is  the  prime 
mover  in  a  number  of  causes.  He  presses  and  carries 
through  an  overture  signed  by  Drs.  Herdman,  Herridge, 
Soinerville,  Mr.  Carmichael,  Mr.  Gordon,  and  others  in 
regard  to  the  training  of  men  for  Home  Mission  work, 
the  final  issue  of  which  is  the  establishment  of  the  Min- 
ister Evangelist  Course  now  in  operation  in  Manitoba 
College.  He  supports  the  overtures  that  result  in  the 
erection  of  the  new  Presbyteries  of  Dauphin,  Qu?  Appelle, 
and  Prince  Albert. 

At  the  very  close  of  the  Assembly  he  presents  the  re- 
port of  the  Church  and  Manse  Building  Fund.  It  is  the 
last  report  to  be  presented  to  the  Assembly.  Members 
and  officials  are  crowding  work  through  with  almost  un- 
seemly haste,  when  the  Superintendent  rises  to  make  his 
last  address  to  the  house.  The  moments  are  precious  and 
he  knows  it,  and  not  one  of  them  does  he  waste.  With 
the  old  fire  and  with  unabated  vigour,  he  recounts  the 
work  accomplished  by  this  Fund.  The  Assembly,  for- 
getting its  weariness  and  its  impatience,  listens  with  de- 
lighted interest  to  the  hurrying  stream  of  statistics  and 
stories,  and  to  his  final  passionate  appeal  on  behalf  of  his 
beloved  West.  In  moving  the  resolution  adopting  the 
report,  Dr.  Herridge  takes  occasion  to  say  that  no  more 
fitting  climax  to  the  Assembly's  work  can  be  found. 
Principal  Grant,  in  seconding  the  resolution,  speaks  in 
the  same  strain,  closing  with  the  significant  and  pro- 
phetic quotation  finis  coronal  opus. 

His  Assembly  work  is  done,  but  there  remain  a  few 
weeks  into  which  he  can  crowd  some  further  service  to 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  389 

his  Church  and  to  his  country.  In  August  he  sets  off 
for  a  tour  of  the  West.  Through  the  Presbyteries  of 
Kamloops,  Kooteuay,  Edmonton,  and  Calgary,  he  goes, 
himself  a  veritable  flying  column,  optimistic,  buoyant  as 
ever  ;  counselling,  cheering  on  his  brethren  with  never  a 
word  of  complaint  in  regard  to  himself,  and  with  only 
now  and  then  a  suggestion  of  failing  strength.  Of  his 
Calgary  visit  his  old  friend,  Dr.  Herdrnan,  a  man  of  his 
own  kidney  and  dear  to  his  heart,  thus  writes  : 

"His  last  visit  to  Calgary  was  September  18th  to  20th 
of  1901.  I  handed  him  a  bundle  of  letters  which  had  ac- 
cumulated for  him — sixty-six  in  all !  The  Home  Mission 
Committee  of  the  Synod  of  British  Columbia  was  in  ses- 
sion, and  one  of  the  meetings  lasted  till  two  o> clock  in  the 
morning.  Next  day  Dr.  Lafferty  called  to  give  him  a  well 
considered  warning  against  overtaxing  his  small  capital 
of  health.  He  was  at  once  impressed  and  grateful,  and 
more  than  once  referred  to  the  excellent  nature  of  the  ad- 
vice, on  our  way  to  "Winnipeg. 

"  The  train  should  have  reached  Winnipeg  early  in  the 
evening,  but  it  was  just  one  o'clock  when  we  got  to  our 
destination.  At  the  station  he  found  two  students  await- 
ing him,  having  arrangements  about  travelling  to  make, 
which  only  he  could  effect  for  them.  The  better  part  of 
an  hour  was  consumed  in  this  way,  during  which  time  my 
duty  was  to  keep  the  hotel  bus  waiting.  For  no  other 
man  would  it  have  waited,  but  the  name  of  Dr.  Bobert- 
son  prevailed  with  passengers  and  bus  drivers,  and  when 
he  at  last  appeared,  none  but  kindly  greetings  awaited 
him  all  round,  though  it  was  now  nearly  two  in  the  morn- 
ing. When  we  reached  the  hotel  I  gasped  to  see  the  hotel 
clerk  hand  him  a  bundle  of  letters  ;  and  when  I  met  him 
next  morning  at  breakfast,  I  found  to  my  consternation 
that  he  had  not  only  read  the  letters,  but  '  Al though, '  as 
he  said  apologetically,  *  my  hope  was  that  I  might  be  able 


390       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

to  follow  Dr.  Lafferty's  friendly  advice/  he  had  found 
several  of  them  so  urgent,  and  dealing  with  matters  so 
long  delayed,  that  he  had  been  compelled  by  a  sense  of 
duty  to  take  most  of  the  few  hours  that  remained  of  the 
night,  and  reply  at  once.  This  was  how  between  us  all 
we  worked  our  Superintendent  of  Missions." 

In  October  he  is  in  Toronto  for  the  meeting  of  the 
Executive  of  the  Assembly's  Committee,  and  immediately 
upon  its  close  hurries  to  complete  his  tour  of  the  West. 
By  November  7th  he  is  on  the  east-bound  train,  busy  with 
correspondence.  Here  is  a  letter  of  instructions,  terse, 
crisp,  pulsing  with  life  and  feeling  which  he  addresses  to 
Mr.  Gordon  : 

"You  can  scarcely  imagine — vivid  as  your  imagina- 
tion is — how  disappointed  and  flabbergasted  I  was  to-day 
to  find  you  had  gone  out  of  town  ;  there  were  sheaves  of 
things  I  wished  to  discuss  with  you.  But  let  me  give 
you  first  a  list  of  men  expected  and  where  it  is  suggested 
that  they  be  sent."  Then  follows  a  list  of  names  with 
directions  as  to  fields,  his  judgment  in  regard  to  salaries, 
instructions  as  to  leaflets  and  Synod  Fund,  after  which 
the  letter  proceeds  :  "In  presenting  the  Home  Mission 
report,  get  the  Committee  to  recommend 

'  *  1.  That  the  Synod  instruct  all  congregations  and  mis- 
sions to  contribute  to  the  Fund. 

"  2.  That  the  Synod  direct  attention  to  the  need  of 
more  missionaries,  and  men  better  suited  for  the  work. 

"  3.  Let  missions  like  those  I  have  indicated  to  you,  be 
frankly  told  that  they  must  shift  for  themselves. 

"To  save  Fund,  let  an  Executive  of  the  Home 
Mission  and  Augmentation  be  appointed  to  meet  in  the 
autumn. 

"J.  R. 

"P.  S.  Apologize  to  Committee  and  Synod  for  my  ab- 
sence ;  tell  them  how  sincerely  I  regret  not  meeting  my 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  391 

brethren,  but  that  it  was  inevitable. ' '  He  never  met  with 
them  again. 

The  rest  of  November  he  spends  in  a  Home  Mission 
campaign,  in  company  with  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Macdonald 
and  Mr.  John  Penman  of  Paris.  The  last  month  of  the 
year  and  of  his  life  is  packed  full,  the  Sabbaths  with 
public  services,  the  days  bet  ween  with  journeys,  addresses, 
and  correspondence. 

On  Sabbath,  November  24th,  on  his  way  to  address  the 
Parkdale  congregation,  he  has  a  fall  which  almost  renders 
him  insensible.  He  makes  his  way  to  a  doctor,  bruised 
and  bleeding,  but  after  being  bandaged,  he  insists  on 
fulfilling  his  engagement  and  that  same  afternoon  ad- 
dresses Westminster  Sabbath-school.  Remonstrances  are 
in  vain.  He  never  has  broken  an  appointment  while 
able  to  stand.  From  his  shoulder  to  his  finger-tips,  he  is 
black  and  blue  ;  his  arm  is  useless,  but  next  Sabbath  he 
is  preaching  in  Brampton,  Cheltenham,  and  Mt.  Pleasant. 
On  Tuesday  following  he  addresses  the  Toronto  Presby- 
tery and,  as  he  tells  his  old  friend,  Dr.  Farquharson, 
"  stated  a  few  plain  things  to  them  about  the  treatment 
they  were  meting  out  to  Home  Mission  and  Augmenta- 
tion, and  tried  to  shame  them,  etc.,"  with  some  effect, 
evidently,  for  a  number  of  the  brethren  ask  him  for  a 
synopsis  of  his  address  to  be  used  with  their  people. 
The  following  Sabbath  he  is  preaching  in  Paris,  Farring- 
don  and  Zion  Church,  Brantford.  The  Sabbath  after,  he 
keeps  an  appointment,  made  three  weeks  before,  and  ad- 
dresses Westminster  congregation,  Toronto,  in  its  morn- 
ing service. 

"I  shall  never  forget  his  appearance,"  writes  Rev. 
John  Neil,  "when  he  came  into  the  vestry  before  the 
service.  He  had  a  bandage  over  one  eye,  and  his  ap- 
pearance indicated  that  he  had  been  passing  through  some 
trying  experiences.  He  said,  l  Dr.  Warden  insisted  upon 


392       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

my  not  coming  this  morning,  but  when  I  make  an  en- 
gagement I  am  always  determined,  if  possible,  to  carry  it 
out.  I  hope  your  congregation  will  not  resent  my  com- 
ing in  this  form.7  I  have  heard  him  frequently,  both  in 
the  pulpit  and  on  the  platform,  and  at  the  meetings  of 
our  General  Assembly  and  other  Church  courts,  but  I 
never  heard  him  speak  with  more  power  than  that  Sab- 
bath morning.  It  was  perhaps  the  most  comprehensive 
address  I  ever  heard  him  deliver." 

Writing  to  Dr.  Farquharson  of  his  experience  in  West- 
minster Church  that  day,  he  says  : 

"  Yesterday  I  addressed  Mr.  NeiPs  congregation  in  the 
forenoon,  Mr.  Frizzell's  in  the  evening.  A  man  came  up 
to  me  at  the  close  of  the  forenoon  service  and  offered  me 
$250,  and  Mr.  NeiFs  people  are  going  to  work  to  raise  at 
least  $1,250  by  way  of  special  help — so  Dr.  Warden  told 
me  to-day.  I  am  going  to  disable  the  other  shoulder  and 
get  my  other  eye  blackened." 

He  does  better  in  Mr.  Neil's  church  than  he  knows,  for 
as  a  result  of  that  address  the  Fund  is  richer  by  $2,000. 

And  yet  in  spite  of  this  terrific  pace,  such  is  the  extra- 
ordinary vitality  of  the  man,  that  he  appears  not  only  to 
be  holding  his  own,  but  to  be  even  improving  in  health. 
But  it  is  not  the  vitality  of  physical  strength,  it  is  the 
flaming  fire  of  his  invincible  spirit  that  gives  to  his 
emaciated  and  weakening  body  the  energy  and  the  glow 
of  health. 

During  the  week  following  his  appearance  at  West- 
minster, he  addresses  Central  Church,  Hamilton.  He  has 
two  Sabbaths  left  of  the  year  and  of  his  life.  He  will 
make  a  fair  division  of  them.  One  he  will  give  to  his 
life's  work,  pleading  his  great  cause  before  the  congrega- 
tions of  Appin  and  Glencoe,  the  other,  the  29th  of  Decem- 
ber, he  will  give — oh,  reckless  prodigality  ! — to  his  wife 
and  family. 


Historic  Kiidonan  Cnurckyard  WLere  a  Number 
of  the  ^Vestern  Pioneers  Are  Buried 


• 


THE  NIGHT  COMETH  393 

The  next  three  days  he  remains  quietly  at  home,  fill- 
ing up  the  hours  with  correspondence  as  his  strength 
will  permit,  for  he  is  rapidly  failing.  It  is  Saturday,  the 
4th  of  January.  In  the  midst  of  a  letter  the  stupor  of 
his  disease  now  and  then  overcomes  him.  He  rouses  him- 
self to  continue,  till  at  length  his  hitherto  unconquered 
spirit  surrenders.  He  turns  to  his  wife  and,  with  a  word 
strange  upon  his  lips,  "  I  am  done  out,"  he  sinks  into 
slumber.  The  long  day  is  done  ;  the  night  has  come ! 
And  also  the  morning  ! 

The  Church  authorities  come  to  proffer  their  loving 
offices  in  the  last  service  it  is  permitted  men  to  render  to 
their  honoured  dead.  A  public  funeral  is  proposed,  but 
the  wife,  heart- stricken  and  " jealous"  of  her  rights  in 
that  dear  dust,  will  not  hear  of  it.  He  is  hers  now  at 
last,  and  only  hers,  and  she  will  hold  him  hers  to  the 
end.  But  this  only  for  a  moment.  Of  her  life's  long 
sacrifice  but  a  poor  fragment  remains  to  offer.  He  is 
hers,  yes,  but  he  belongs  to  his  Church  as  well,  and  if  his 
Church  asks  the  privilege  of  rendering  this  last  loving 
tribute,  she  will  not  interpose.  She  will  make  perfect 
her  sacrifice. 

At  the  house  a  small  company  of  close  friends  gather. 
The  great  words  of  the  immortal  hope  are  read.  There 
is  a  prayer  for  pity  and  comfort,  a  prayer  of  grateful 
thanksgiving  as  well,  and  he  is  carried  forth  from  the 
home  which  has  been  his  so  little. 

In  and  about  Bloor  Street  Church  a  great  concourse  of 
the  people  have  assembled.  Dr.  Wallace,  the  minister 
of  the  church,  presides  and  reads  the  Scripture.  The 
Eev.  J.  A.  Macdonald  oifers  the  prayers  of  the  people. 
Songs  of  hope  and  triumph  lift  their  hearts  to  God.  The 
Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly,  Eev.  Dr.  Warden, 
pays  the  tribute  of  the  Church' s  love  and  gratitude.  The 


394       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Rev.  C.  W.  Gordon  speaks  the  word  that  tells  the  grief 
of  the  men  of  the  West,  their  loving  pride  in  their  dead 
chief,  their  gratitude  for  his  work,  their  joy  in  his  tri- 
umph. The  people  pass  in  a  long-drawn  file  to  look  upon 
his  face  upturned  and  still.  Alas  !  alas  !  he  is  dead  ! 
No  message  more  from  those  pallid  lips  !  Then  they  bear 
him  out  to  his  place  in  Mount  Pleasant  Cemetery. 

But  he  is  of  the  West.  In  the  West  his  life  is  sown  ; 
in  the  West  the  harvest  will  wave,  and  so  upon  the  field 
of  his  labour  and  of  his  triumph  his  dust  must  find  its  last 
abode.  To  Winnipeg — how  different  from  that  "  cluster- 
ing variegation  of  shops  and  shacks "  that  greeted  him 
twenty -eight  years  ago — and  thence  to  old  Kildonan,  he  is 
borne,  and  there  in  that  sacred  field  of  the  dead  those 
who  loved  him  best  and  wrought  with  him  longest,  laid 
him  down.  Beside  him  Msbet,  Black,  and  a  little  fur- 
ther, King,  a  noble  company  for  whom  Western  Canada 
might  well  thank  God.  There  let  them  sleep  together, 
their  dust  possessing  this  wide  laud  and  claiming  it  for 
God  and  things  eternal,  their  spirits  living  in  the  un- 
shrinking faith  and  unconquered  love  of  those  who,  hear- 
ing of  their  deeds,  shall  find  within  their  own  hearts  a 
fire  that  will  consume  until  all  dross  of  self  is  gone  and 
only  the  love  of  God  and  man  abides. 


XXXIV 

MEMORIALS 

IT  is  neither  fitting  nor  necessary  to  reproduce  here  the 
many  resolutions  recording  the  admiration,  esteem, 
and  affection  for  the  Superintendent  of  Missions  and 
the  many  expressions  of  regret  at  his  early  death — he  was 
only  sixty-three — from  Church  courts  and  Committees, 
nor  is  it  necessary  to  publish  any  of  the  scores  of  letters 
from  distinguished  citizens  of  Canada  and  from  hum- 
bler friends,  breathing  love  and  gratitude  for  his  public 
services  to  the  nation  as  well  as  for  his  personal  quali- 
ties. But  it  seems  right  that  here  there  should  be  found 
a  place  for  a  few  of  these  expressions  that  embody  the 
sentiments  of  those  who  wrought  with  him  in  official  re- 
lations in  different  parts  of  Canada.  There  have  been 
selected  these  four.  The  first  is  from  the  farthest  west 
of  all  the  Presbyteries,  the  Presbytery  of  Westminster  : 

"  The  Presbytery  of  Westminster  having  learned  with 
profound  regret  of  the  death  of  Eev.  Dr.  James  Robert- 
son, Superintendent  of  Missions  in  Manitoba,  the  North- 
west, and  British  Columbia,  desires  to  place  on  record  its 
deep  sense  of  the  loss  the  Church  has  sustained. 

"  For  twenty  years  the  leader  and  representative  of  the 
Church  in  the  outposts  of  the  rapidly-advancing  frontier 
of  our  Western  civilization,  he  endured  cheerfully  the 
hardships  of  pioneer  life  and  discharged  with  splendid 
fidelity  and  magnificent  success  the  arduous  duties  of  his 
important  but  difficult  position. 

"  Possessing  in  rare  combination  the  statesman's  out- 
look and  the  prophet's  fervour,  and  animated  by  an  un- 

395 


396       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

faltering  confidence  in  our  country's  future,  he  formed 
his  plans  with  a  far-sighted  wisdom  that  the  course  of 
events  has  abundantly  justified,  aud  bringing  to  the  per- 
formance of  his  great  work  the  admirable  qualities  of 
mind  and  heart  for  which  he  was  distinguished,  and  dis- 
playing the  highest  type  of  true  patriotism  as  well  as  the 
most  attractive  form  of  Christian  service,  he  laid  broad 
and  deep  the  foundations  of  national  and  religious  life  in 
the  western  half  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada. 

"  A  man  of  heroic  mould,  but  of  tenderest  heart,  chari- 
table in  his  j  udgments  of  men,  generous  and  sympathetic 
in  his  dealings  with  them,  he  was  himself  a  living  em- 
bodiment of  that  Gospel  which  he  preached  as  the  only 
hope  for  the  individual  or  the  nation. 

u  His  whole  career  was  an  exemplification  of  the  spirit 
of  devotion  and  self-sacrifice  which  he  expected  to  see 
manifested  by  the  servants  of  the  Church  whose  work  he 
was  appointed  to  superintend.  Genial  and  kindly  in  his 
disposition,  and  keeping  himself  in  closest  touch  with  the 
world's  best  thought,  his  visits  to  the  homes  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, living  in  isolated  positions  and  doing  their  work 
under  many  discouragements,  were  a  source  of  keenest 
delight  and  an  inspiration  to  nobler  effort. 

"  While  mourning  his  loss,  the  Presbytery  gratefully 
recognizes  that  the  story  of  his  life  will  form  one  of  the 
brightest  pages  in  the  Church's  history,  and  expresses 
the  conviction  that  the  future  of  the  country  will  show 
with  increasing  clearness  the  impress  of  his  marked  indi- 
viduality. 

"  To  the  sorrowing  members  of  his  bereaved  household 
the  Presbytery  begs  to  extend  its  respectful  sympathy, 
commending  them  to  the  Father  of  mercies  and  God  of 
all  comfort  who  comforteth  us  in  all  our  tribulations." 

There  was  one  body  of  men  with  whom,  more  than  any 
other,  Dr.  Robertson  was  closely  associated  in  his  life- 


MEMORIALS  397 

work,  and  that  body  was  the  Home  Mission  Committee 
of  the  Synod  of  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  Territories. 
He  was  its  first  and  only  Convener,  and  twice  a  year  for 
seventeen  years  the  Superintendent  met  with  this  Com- 
mittee to  formulate  policy  and  to  make  plans  and  to  dis- 
cuss ways  and  means ;  and  every  year  of  their  work  to- 
gether strengthened  the  bonds  that  bound  them,  till  they 
became,  indeed,  a  band  of  brothers.  It  was  not  his  offi- 
cial position  as  head  of  the  Committee,  but  his  personal 
qualities  that  drew  and  held  their  love  and  confidence. 
There  is  no  word  in  this  resolution  but  properly  carries 
with  it  its  full  weight  of  meaning  : 

"  It  is  with  deep  sorrow  and  an  overwhelming  sense  of 
loss  that  we,  the  members  of  the  Synod's  Home  Mission 
Committee  of  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  Territories, 
deplore  the  absence  from  our  Committee  to-day  and  from 
henceforth,  of  our  Convener,  the  Eev.  Dr.  Eobertson, 
Superintendent  of  Missions.  This  Committee  has  never 
known  another  Convener,  for  since  its  organization  in 
the  year  1884,  seventeen  years  ago,  Dr.  Eobertson  has 
guided  our  councils  and  presided  at  our  deliberations. 
During  the  twenty-one  years  of  Dr.  Eobertson' s  superin- 
tendency,  the  Home  Mission  work  of  our  Church  in 
Western  Canada  has  developed  with  a  rapidity  unpar- 
alleled in  the  history  of  Christian  missions,  so  that  the 
one  Presbytery  of  1881,  with  its  four  congregations  and 
eighteen  missions,  has  developed  into  eighteen  Presby- 
teries with  141  congregations  and  226  missions,  giving 
service  at  1,130  points  ;  and  to-day  in  the  Canada  that 
lies  west  of  the  Lakes,  we  have  the  foundations  of  a  great 
Church  laid  solidly  and  well. 

11  We,  whose  privilege  it  has  been  to  be  associated 
with  Dr.  Eobertson  in  this  work,  know  in  a  measure 
how  much  these  remarkable  results  have,  under  God, 
been  due  to  the  statesmanlike  leading  and  to  the  un- 


398       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

tiring  personal  labours  of  our  late  Convener.  But 
neither  we,  nor  the  Church  as  a  whole,  will  ever  be 
able  fully  to  estimate  the  value  of  the  service  he  gave 
in  this  Western  country,  nor  how  much  our  country 
owes  to  Dr.  Robertson's  fervent  patriotism  and  wise 
administration. 

"For  his  position  and  his  work  Dr.  Robertson  was 
thoroughly  furnished.  To  his  strong  common  sense 
and  sound  judgment  he  added  a  genius  for  administra- 
tion, for  the  selecting  of  men,  and  for  the  mastery  of 
detail,  a  singleness  of  aim,  and  a  true  sympathy  with 
his  fellow- workers ;  and  thus  it  was  that  he  was  able 
to  gain  and  to  hold,  and  ever  more  and  more  firmly,  the 
confidence  and  the  admiring  affection  of  those  who  shared 
with  him  in  his  toil.  How  often  at  this  table  have  we 
been  stimulated  by  his  faith,  cheered  by  his  hope  and 
courage,  rebuked  by  his  surpassing  self-devotion,  and 
encouraged  by  his  sympathy.  To-day  we  mourn  not  only 
the  leader  who  has  so  surely  shown  us  the  way,  but  the 
friend  and  .brother  to  whom  our  hearts  were  knit  with 
true  and  tender  ties. 

"The  loss  the  Church  has  sustained  in  the  death  of 
Dr.  Robertson  is  greater  than  we  know.  Our  loss,  as 
a  Committee,  and  that  personal  loss  which  we  each  feel 
in  our  own  lives  by  his  removal,  we  are  not  yet  able  to 
measure  ;  but  with  the  Church  we  bow  in  humble  sub- 
mission to  the  will  of  God,  in  the  faith  that  the  influence 
of  that  strenuous  and  devoted  life  will  long  abide  in  the 
whole  Church,  and  especially  in  this  section  of  it  to 
which  he  gave  his  life  ;  and  that  we  who  laboured  with 
him  will  continue  to  feel  the  uplifting  influence  of  his 
splendid  and  heroic  self-devotion.  And  we  earnestly 
pray  that  the  same  Lord  who  so  richly  endowed  His 
servant  and  gave  him  to  us  these  many  years,  will  not 
forsake  the  work  just  begun,  but  will  continue  it  to  the  end. 


MEMORIALS  399 

* '  To  the  bereaved  wife  and  family  we  offer  our  sincere 
and  respectful  sympathy.  We  measure  the  greatness  of 
their  loss  by  our  own,  and  pray  for  them  the  consolation 
of  the  Divine  Grace,  and  abiding  presence  of  Him  who 
has  declared  Himself  to  be  the  husband  of  the  widow  and 
the  father  of  the  fatherless." 

The  Church  and  Manse  Building  Fund  owed  its  exist- 
ence to  Dr.  Eobertson,  and  this  Fund  under  his  adminis- 
tration became  a  means  of  blessing  to  Western  Canada 
greater  than  can  be  estimated.  With  the  members  of 
the  Board  intrusted  with  the  interests  of  this  Fund,  the 
Superintendent  of  Missions  kept  in  close  and  cordial  re- 
lation, and  hence  this  resolution  properly  finds  its  place 
with  the  others  : 

"  At  its  first  meeting  after  the  lamented  death  of  the 
late  Eev.  James  Eobertson,  D.  D.,  Superintendent  of 
Missions,  the  Church  and  Manse  Building  Board 
wishes  to  place  upon  record  its  recognition  of  the  im- 
portance of  his  services  in  its  department  of  the  Church 
work,  and  its  sense  of  the  loss  sustained  in  his.  removal. 

"  Dr.  Eobertson  was  the  founder  of  this  Fund.  He 
collected  nearly  all  the  money  which  constitutes  its 
endowment,  he  recommended  from  his  personal  knowl- 
edge a  very  large  number  of  the  loans  and  grants 
which  it  made,  he  advocated  the  enlargement  of  the 
sphere  of  its  operations  so  as  to  include,  as  it  now  does, 
British  Columbia  and  a  large  portion  of  New  Ontario, 
and  in  general  his  assistance  was  invaluable  in  admin- 
istering its  business  because  of  the  extent  of  his  infor- 
mation, the  sanity  of  his  judgment  and  the  depth  of  his 
interest  in  the  work.  The  success  of  this  Fund  which 
has  dotted  the  West  with  churches  and  manses  will  be 
an  enduring  monument  of  the  enthusiasm,  the  strenuous- 
ness  and  the  far  ambition  of  Dr.  Eobertson7 s  life." 

The     following     is    the    resolution    by    the    General 


400       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee  (Western  Section). 
It  was  composed  of  those  who  stood  among  the  very 
ablest  men  in  the  Church.  It  was  the  Committee 
under  whose  authority  the  Superintendent  of  Missions 
worked,  and  there  is  no  more  striking  testimony  to  the 
quality  of  his  work  and  the  character  of  the  man  than 
the  increasing  hold  the  Superintendent  gained  upon 
the  confidence  of  the  Committee  whose  servant  he  was. 
And  as  the  members  of  this  Committee  came  to  see 
more  clearly  the  single-hearted  devotion  and  the  sane 
and  sound  judgment  of  their  Superintendent,  the  more 
there  grew  up  in  their  hearts  a  profound  affection  for 
him,  and  a  willingness  to  be  guided  by  his  counsel. 

l<  The  Home  Mission  Committee  (Western  Section) 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Canada,  at  its  first 
meeting  after  his  decease,  does  hereby  record  its  sense 
of  the  noble  character  and  splendid  achievements  of  the 
late  Eev.  James  Robertson,  D.  D. 

"Appointed  by  the  Church  in  hesitation  and  doubt 
to  the  office  of  Superintendent  of  Missions  for  Manitoba 
and  the  Northwest,  in  1881,  he  lived  to  enjoy  every 
honour  the  Church  could  bestow,  and  to  behold,  amid 
the  marvellous  development  of  the  Canadian  West, 
largely  as  the  result  of  his  own  efforts,  the  cause  of  re- 
ligion militant  everywhere,  and  flourishing  in  almost 
every  part. 

1  'In  the  West,  by  his  wonderful  versatility,  he  gained 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  every  class  of  the  popula- 
tion. Amid  farms,  or  ranches,  or  mines,  or  villages, 
or  cities,  he  was  equally  known  and  venerated.  He  was 
always  looked  upon  as  a  hero,  of  the  type  the  West 
is  proud  of,  and  spent  himself  in  tireless  labours  for  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  that  vast  region.  A  loyal  Presby- 
terian, he  was  no  sectarian.  He  wanted  the  West  for 
righteousness  and  the  fear  of  God. 


Dr.  Robertson  s  Grave  in 
the  Kildonan  Churchyard 


MEMORIALS  401 

"  To  the  missionaries  under  his  superintendence  he  was 
a  comrade  and  most  welcome  adviser.  A  visit  from  him 
was  a  stirring  of  hope  and  energy  and  trust  in  God. 
Quick  to  condemn  sloth  and  mismanagement,  he  was  yet 
quicker  to  sympathize  with  genuine  misfortune  and  eager 
to  relieve  it. 

"In  the  older  portions  of  the  Church  in  Canada,  and 
across  the  Atlantic,  he  was  known  as  an  enthusiast  in  his 
work.  It  was  due  to  his  frank  and  pressing  appeals  that 
the  money  was  raised  for  extending  the  territory  of  Home 
Missions,  and  equipping  the  fields  with  churches,  manses, 
and  pastors. 

"It  is  a  satisfaction  to  this  Committee  to  remember 
the  perfect  harmony  and  cheerfulness  with  which  he  and 
its  members  co-laboured.  While  the  docile  servant  of 
the  Committee,  he  was  at  the  same  time  its  chief  leader 
and  ruler.  Knowing  the  difficulties  best,  he  was  yet  the 
most  ardent  and  progressive  spirit  of  all. 

"We  praise  God  that  He  gave  our  Church  such  an 
apostle,  and  recognize  the  Divine  kindness  which  called 
him  to  his  reward.  While  we  feel  the  human  impos- 
sibility of  filling  his  place,  we  remember  that  he  in  our 
position  would  be  undaunted,  and  face  with  confidence 
the  task  of  carrying  on  the  immense  enterprise  which  he 
began,  and  has  left  magnificently  incomplete.  We  pray 
for  faith  as  we  recall  some  of  his  last  words,  l  The  next 
few  years  are  critical  in  this  work.  The  night  cometh.' 

"  This  Committee  would  convey  to  the  family  their 
tender  sympathy  in  the  sorrow  into  which  they  have  been 
plunged,  and  pray  that  the  God  of  all  grace  and  consola- 
tion may  be  to  them  a  present  and  abiding  refuge." 

For  many  years  the  Presbytery  of  Calgary  formed  the 
western  limit  of  the  Superintendent's  mission  field,  and 
the  history  of  no  other  Presbytery  in  the  West  is  so  full 
of  the  romance  of  missions.  The  Home  Mission  Com- 


402       THE  LIFE  OF  JAMES  ROBERTSON 

mittee  of  that  Presbytery,  under  the  leadership  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Herdman,  who  himself  became  afterwards  one 
of  the  Superintendents  of  Missions  for  the  Western 
Church,  was  always  the  pride  of  the  Superintendent's 
heart.  Between  these  two  men  there  existed  from  first  to 
last  the  very  strongest  ties  of  personal  affection  and 
esteem.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  upon  the 
wall  of  Dr.  Herdman'  s  church  this  tablet  should  hang  : 


recognition  of  the 
worth  and  work  of  the 
Rev.  James  Robertson,  D.  D., 

Superintendent  of 
Presbyterian  Home  Missions 
from  1881  to  1902, 

This  tablet 

in  a  church  and  city  situated 
centrally  among  missions,  is 
erected  conjointly  by  Presbytery 
and  congregation. 

"  '  Let  no  man  glory  in  men,  for  all 
things  are  yours,  whether  Paul,  or 
Apollos,  or  Cephas.1 

11  Canada,  West  of  the  Great  Lakes,  was  his  mission  field." 

In  the  cemetery  of  old  Kildonan,  above  the  grave  that 
holds  his  dust,  there  stands  a  block  of  granite  bearing 
this  inscription  : 

"Rev.  James  Robertson,  D.  D., 

1839-1902 

Pastor  of  Norwich  1869-1874 
First  Pastor  of  Knox  Church,  Winnipeg, 

1874-1881 
(Superintendent  of  Western  Missions 

1881-1902 


MEMORIALS  403 

*'  Endowed  by  God  with  extraordinary  talents,  entrusted 
by  his  Church  with  unique  powers,  he  used  all  for  the 
good  of  his  country  and  for  the  glory  of  God.     The 
story  of  his  work  is  the  history  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Western  Canada,  and  while  Western  Canada 
endures,  that  work  will  abide. 
To  his  memory  and  to  the  Glory  of  God  this  stone 
is  erected  by  a  few  of  those  who  loved  him  and 
counted  it  a  joy  to  labour  with  him  in  his  great  work.'1 

That  monument  of  granite  will  become  dust,  blown  by 
passing  winds,  but  coeval  with  Time  the  monument  of 
his  Life  will  stand  to  the  glory  of  His  name  who  made 
him  what  he  was. 


M31966 


-BX 


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